A lawsuit was filed on August 20 by a law firm against a construction company servicing a New York City hospital. The allegations claim the company neglected to treat bacteria-infected water located in its cooling towers, resulting in an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. As of August 20, city officials have ascertained that the live Legionella bacteria, which were found in 12 cooling towers, are at the heart of the outbreak. Up to now, 109 people have been infected, more than a dozen have been hospitalized, and five have unfortunately passed away, with the outbreak first detected in mid-July.
Prominent personal injury lawyer, Ben Crump, is taking on the case of two of the construction site’s workers who contracted the disease in late July and were subsequently hospitalized. The construction company, Rising Sun Construction, Skanska USA and the City of New York are all named defendants in the lawsuit.
The cooling towers, which service ten buildings primarily located in central Harlem, are implicated in the outbreak. These buildings include a condominium, a retail establishment, and the Harlem Hospital Center, with the latter being a part of the NYC Health + Hospitals system. After series of significant storms in July, it’s believed that the cooling towers at Harlem Hospital were filled with untreated rainwater, encouraging bacteria to proliferate and eventually leading to this public health crisis.
The lawsuit seeks recompense for medical expenses, loss of income and pain and suffering experienced by the plaintiffs. Although neither Rising Sun Construction nor Skanska USA have commented on the pending case, the latter reassures the public it is cooperating fully with the health officials.
In conclusion, this lawsuit raises important concerns about the oversight of health standards in construction sites and the larger impact on public health. It is a grim reminder of the importance of diligent infection control and the potential human and financial costs when such control is not effectively implemented.