November 18, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

The Duty of a Maintenance Company

The next case we’re going to revisit, while also involving a hotel, is unique as it involved an external maintenance company and the duty it owed to keep a pool system safe. In this case, a hotel employee was tasked with manually cleaning out the filter for the pool and hot tub. Within a week, the employee began to feel ill and was later diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. He was the third case of Legionnaires’ disease that could be traced back to the hotel. He was hospitalized multiple times over a 5-month period as a result of his diagnosis. Both…

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November 13, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Revisited: The Hospital Case

Hospital-associated cases are what they sound like: contaminated water at the hospital causes illness amongst its patients and/or employees. Healthcare facilities like hospitals and nursing homes usually serve the populations with the highest risk of contracting Legionnaires’ Disease: elderly individuals and individuals with prior-existing conditions. The following case we had a few years ago. In 2017, the client was admitted to a nearby hospital. Shortly after, she developed symptoms consistent with Legionnaires’ Disease such as cough and fatigue, was treated in the ICU, and then discharged. Unfortunately, because physicians misdiagnosed her, she had to be readmitted days later. Arriving in acute…

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November 13, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Connecticut Investigating Possible Case of Legionnaires’ Disease

The State Department of Health is investigating a possible case of Legionnaires’ Disease following the death of a man in New Haven, Connecticut. According to the Director of Communications at the Department, Yale New Haven Hospital reported the case to health officials. The Director has not said where the Department believes the man may have contracted the disease. This is an ongoing matter. Health officials at the State Department of Health are still investigating the possible sources of Legionella. As information comes in, we will provide updates.[1] Click here for 100% free consultation. THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN…

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November 12, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Revisited: A Common Hotel Case

Like some of our prior posts, this post highlights a past client’s case. We have previously highlighted cases focusing specifically on hot tubs and cooling towers. This post highlights the potential sources of exposure that exist in hotel and resort settings. In June 2019, our client contracted Legionnaires’ Disease following a stay at an out-of-state hotel. Within days of his visit, he began suffering from symptoms and eventually died as a result of the disease. Generally, sources of exposure at hotels are many, as legionella bacteria can grow and become aerosolized through a number of different sources where water is…

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November 4, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Revisited: The Case of the Cooling Tower

Like the last case we revisited, this post highlights a past client’s case. Our last post highlighted the danger of hot tubs. This post highlights the threat posed by cooling towers – a large, commercial building’s water cooling system. In July and August 2015, there was an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in the Bronx that claimed 12 lives and sickened at least 128 people. The outbreak caused widespread concern and weeks of uncertainty among residents. Thanks to the hard work of epidemiologists and investigators, the source of the outbreak was identified: a cooling tower in the area. In cooling tower…

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November 4, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Revisited: Our Bed and Breakfast Case

Thankfully, there have been no outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease since we covered the cases in Tazewell and Sheboygan counties. So we thought it helpful to highlight some of our past, common scenarios where previous clients of ours have contracted the disease. In our first case, the clients contracted Legionnaires’ Disease on vacation at the defendant’s lake home she was renting. Specifically, three family members inhaled contaminated water emanating from a hot tub on the property. Two fell seriously ill and one family member died as a result of the disease. This case was particularly tricky as Legionella testing was never…

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September 17, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

The CDC’s Positive . . . for Legionaries Disease

Ironically, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has closed several of its buildings in Atlanta because Legionella bacteria have been found in their water systems. These bacteria likely grew because of the pandemic shutdown. Legionella, which grows in warm or stagnant water, causes a deadly form of pneumonia. Left untreated, Legionnaires Disease can kill a person within weeks, and when treated properly can still take more than a year to recover from. The CDC says Legionella bacteria is a problem that people across the country need to be on the lookout for, especially now. The…

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August 20, 2019 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Tomahawk, WI – Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak at Rodeway Inn; two cases identified

The Lincoln County Health Department is investigating two confirmed cases of Legionnaires disease at a motel in Tomahawk.  Two guests who stayed at the Rodeway Inn and Suites contracted the disease.  Health department scientists are trying to find the source.  That motel has been shut down for treatment.  Legionnaires is called a naturally-occurring disease which can sometimes build up in showers, hot tubs and even plumbing systems. For a 100% free consultation, contact Jules Zacher today. THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY JULES ZACHER, P.C. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR A SUBSTITUTE…

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November 13, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

English v US Approach to Legionella Control

As previously reported in a blog posted October 12, 2018, the US approach to controlling legionella is different from the United Kingdom. The UK approach is national in nature and very strict. Two recent examples include a leisure center in Walton-on-the-Naze being criminally prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive ( UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare) for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease two years ago. Another case involved a care home being fined 600,000 pounds (approximately $777,000.00) after pleading guilty to the death of a 90 year old who died…

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November 6, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Connecting the Dots-Second Washington Heights Outbreak Is Just The Tip of The Iceberg

Connecting the dots is part of what this blog is all about. You may remember that significant regulations were passed in New York City in 2015 because of the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease (see my blog of October 25, 2018). Unfortunately, these regulations are not being properly enforced by the city health department. As a result, 90% of the cooling tower cases heard by an administrative agency charged with enforcing the regulations have been dismissed. This is despite the fact that there has been 65% increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases from 2016 to 2017. Even Mayor De Blasio has criticized…

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