December 7, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

Smithsonian Magazine highlights rising legionella cases

Smithsonian Magazine recently published an article discussing rising rates of legionella exposure over the last two decades. While the United States has some of the safest drinking water in the world, due in large part to the passage of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, exposure to legionella continues to be an issue across the country. Legionella accounts for about 60% of waterborne disease outbreaks over the last decade, now the leading cause of outbreaks. While almost 10,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported to the CDC in 2018 experts suggest that the real number may be significantly…

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November 30, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Safe water access remains a problem across the U.S.

The Harvard Kennedy School’s Journalist’s Resource recently published an interesting article highlighting the inequities in access to safe in-home water across the United States. Around 1.1 million people across the U.S. report lacking some access to running water in their homes and households of color are disproportionately more likely to fall into this group. Households of color in metropolitan areas are 34% more likely to lack complete plumbing in their home. For a household to have complete plumbing, it must have it running hot and cold water plus a bathtub or shower used only by people living in the dwelling.…

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November 23, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Possible Legionella Outbreak in Wisconsin

There has been a suspected legionella outbreak in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Two individuals who stayed at the Round Barn Lodge have confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease. While there has not yet been testing to confirm the lodge as their source of exposure, both individuals began feeling symptoms 10-14 days after their stay which falls within the typical incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease. The lodge has since hired an independent laboratory partner to test the water and resolve any problems with the water that may be found. The lodge has voluntarily closed and notified past guests with information provided by the…

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November 19, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Flint water crisis settlement grows to $641 million

The settlement of the Flint water crisis lawsuits has recently grown to $641 million dollars. The initial settlement amount this summer was $600 million, but the amount increased with additional defendants, including the city of Flint, joining the settlement. With roughly 80 percent of the settlement slated to go to children, prioritizing those who were 6 years old or younger when they were first exposed to Flint River water, money will also be available to those who contracted Legionnaires’ disease from Flint water. People who were both exposed to water received from the Flint treatment plant and diagnosed with Legionnaires’…

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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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