Legionnaire’s Disease May Be Living on Your Windshield
By injuheis on July 22, 2010
According to AOLHealth.com, the dirty water that comes off your windshield when the windshield wipers are on could be the source of 20 percent of Legionnaire’s disease cases. Britain’s Health Protection Agency found that the water is a breeding ground for Legionella bacterium, which can lead to pneumonia if it is breathed in.
The Agency found that professional drivers are 5 times more likely to catch the disease than the general population. As part of a study, people in England and Wales who had Legionnaire’s disease in 2009 were questioned. Researchers found that people who frequently rode in a van, typically through industrial areas with windows open, were most at risk to contract the disease.
The Agency then found that the bacterium which causes the disease was found on 20 percent of cars that did not have windshield wiper fluid, but no cars that did. The Agency is now encouraging all drivers to fill up with windshield wiper fluid, since it kills the bacteria.
Legionnaire’s disease is rare. Most of its victims are males over age 50. The early symptoms are very similar to the flu. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients with Legionnaire’s disease die from it. It is typically very challenging to find the source of the infection. However, there have been many instances throughout Maryland in which poorly maintained hospital or elderly care facilities exposed patients to Legionella bacterium, resulting in serious illness and even wrongful death.
If you or someone you know has contracted Legionnaire’s disease, and you believe it happened as the result of another party’s negligence, contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer”, today. Mr. Heisler has significant experience with Legionnaire’s disease cases and can help you learn about your rights and obtain compensation for your illness. Call 877-228-4878 today for a free consultation with a skilled Maryland Legionnaire’s disease attorney.
Legionnaire’s Disease Outbreak at Des Moines Hospital Results in Illness, Death
By injuheis on May 20, 2010
One patient died recently and another became sickened as a result of an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Tests done in the hospital found bacteria in a few spots in the hospital’s water system. Based on a desmoinesregister.com report, the hospital installed special filters and flushed the system. Doctors are unsure whether the patients contracted the illness in the hospital or elsewhere.
Legionnaire’s disease is a form of pneumonia caused by inhalation of a particular type of bacteria. Legionnaire’s disease can be treated with antibiotics but it is deadly to those with weakened immune systems or breathing problems. Both of the patients who contracted the disease had weakened immune systems.
The hospital did not find any of the bacteria in the room of the patient who died, but bacteria was found in the room of the patient who became ill. State experts are currently attempting to discover the source of the outbreak and to contain it. Starting in 2004, the hospital had 7 cases of Legionnaire’s disease and two deaths among patients from the disease. The family of a former patient of the hospital who died of the disease sued the hospital. It paid her family $500,000 in a settlement.
If you or a family member has contracted Legionnaire’s disease in Maryland as a result of someone else’s negligence, you need to contact an attorney with the legal skill and knowledge to handle cases dealing specifically with Legionnaire’s disease. Contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for legal counsel and representation for your Maryland Legionnaire’s disease case. As a Maryland Legionnaire’s disease lawyer and personal injury attorney, Mr. Heisler has extensive experience with litigation involving Legionnaire’s disease and several other types of injury claims. Call 877-228-4878 today for your free consultation.
Threats of Legionnaire’s Disease at NY Nursing Home Decline
By injuheis on April 26, 2010
Placing a loved one in a nursing home is often one of the most difficult decisions for a family to make, and doing so should not be taken lightly. It is important that family members do their research, visit the facility, meet employees, and give a specific nursing home a lot of thought before actually placing their loved one there. Another factor that many families may consider investigating before putting their loved one in a nursing home is researching any previous history of Legionella bacteria contaminating a facility’s water supply.
A recent Times Herald-Record article reports that after a December 2009 incident in which two elderly residents of the Golden Hill nursing home in New York contracted Legionnaires Disease, a third round of water tests have come back negative for Legionella bacteria. However, as a precaution, the facility has yet to remove its restrictions on water-use in, disallowing nursing home residents from drinking the water, taking a bath, or showering.
According to the news story, results from a fourth test for the bacteria will be returned next week. Such careful attention is indeed necessary, especially considering that one woman at the facility diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease died, although from a different illness. To help make the facility’s pipes once again safe to use, the facility will also be receiving a copper-silver ionization system to clean their water.
Incidents of Legionnaires Disease at nursing home facilities, schools, hospitals, and other establishments happen far too often throughout the United States and in Maryland. Property owners or facility managers may be held liable for failing to warn individuals visiting or living on a premises of any type of potential risk, whether that risk is posed by Legionnaires Disease or some other kind of illness. If you or someone you care about has contracting Legionnaires Disease on another person’s premises, get in touch with Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for a free evaluation of your case. As a skilled Legionnaires Disease attorney, Steven H. Heisler will fight to ensure that your rights are upheld in a court of law. To learn more about what can be done regarding your potential Legionnaire’s Disease case, please call 877-228-4878 today.
Source:http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100402/NEWS/4020330/-1/SITEMAP
Infected Faucet Gives Man Legionnaires Disease at OSU Medical Center
By injuheis on March 12, 2010
Facility owners have an obligation to provide a safe environment for all individuals who enter their buildings. This is never more important than in the case of hospitals and other care facilities where individuals are already susceptible to illness. Unfortunately, not all medical premises exercise the same precautionary measures in protecting their patients. According to a Columbus Dispatch article, the Ohio State University Medical Center may be proven to be one such facility.
Reportedly, a man lost his life to Legionnaires Disease in April 2007 after contracting the disease from drinking water out of an infected faucet at the Ohio State University Medical Center. The man’s wife proceeded to sue the medical center for failing to warn her husband of the danger of Legionnaires Disease, and was recently awarded a settlement amount of $1.2 million. The wife’s case was strengthened by the fact that hospital staff was allegedly aware of the risks of illness being contracted. In fact, the hospital staff had agreed to avoid using water from the infected faucet and instead decided to only use bottled water for both drinking and making ice cubes.
Failure to warn individuals on a premises of any kind of potential risk, be it Legionnaires Disease or any other kind of illness, can be labeled as premises liability. In all instances where an individual in Maryland succumbs to illness or some kind of harm at the hands of a negligent property owner or facility manager, it may be in their best interest to speak with an experienced Maryland premises liability attorney.
If you or a loved one has been afflicted with Legionnaires Disease due to another person’s negligence or lack of care, please contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for a free evaluation of your case. As a skilled Legionnaires Disease attorney, Steven H. Heisler will fight to ensure that your rights are upheld in a court of law. Mr. Heisler has recently obtained successful settlements in Legionnaire’s Disease injury cases, one of which amounted to $600,000.00 for a man in his 60s who contracted Legionnaire’s Disease while a guest at a large Hotel in the Southeast part of the United States. To learn more about what can be done regarding your potential Legionnaire’s Disease case, please call 877-228-4878 today.
Contaminated Water Culprit in Maryland Legionnaire’s Outbreak
By injuheis on December 29, 2009
Premises liability is an issue that often isn’t discussed until some sort of problem arises. Properly maintaining building structures and ensuring that all inhabitants and visitors are safe should be the primary concern of building owners everywhere. However, according to the Chicago Tribune, a senior living facility in Maryland that was recently the site of a Legionnaire’s disease outbreak may have a contaminated water source that is causing people to fall ill. Clearly, this is an indication that necessary safety precautions may not have been put into place in order to fully protect residents.
According to the article, the afflicted senior living facility is 10 years old, and stands on the former site of Memorial Stadium. Initially, it was believed that the incident may have been confined to only a few rooms, possibly due to an infected heating and air-conditioning unit (each room has its own such unit), but that theory has become less likely considering that the number of infected individuals increased as time passed. The incident sparked much concern amongst elderly residents, especially considering that building management, usually quick to respond to such incidents, has been relatively lax in dispensing information to worried seniors.
Legionnaire’s disease is an affliction that generally affects individuals that are 65 years of age or older, or those individuals who already have underlying health conditions. In a facility that caters specifically to seniors, one would think that more rigorous safety measures would be taken, or at the very least regular inspections for testing the water would occur to ensure that the water supply has not been tainted in any way. When property owners fail to provide safe living conditions for their tenants, those property owners may be held liable for damages that result if their tenants become afflicted with an ailment that could have been prevented on the part of the property owner.
If you have fallen ill due to Legionnaire’s disease or any other ailment that may have been caused by negligent behavior on the part of another individual or entity, contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for a free evaluation of your case. Personal injury claims should not be ignored, and those responsible for your injuries or illness should be held accountable for their actions. Please call our Legionnaire’s disease attorneys today for a case consultation.
Source:http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/bal-md.hs.legionnaires16oct16,0,7986418.story
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Maryland Seniors at Risk in Legionnaire’s Infected Living Facility
By injuheis on December 18, 2009
According to a Chicago Tribune article, a recent outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease has afflicted residents at a Maryland senior living facility and sparked concern amongst others. Reportedly, one person has already succumbed to the disease, while four others remain afflicted. A current investigation into the cause of the outbreak is underway, with officials from both the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Baltimore Health Department interviewing residents and testing the facility’s water source.
Legionnaire’s disease is a form of bacterial pneumonia that is caused by Legionella bacteria, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is often found in water sources such as hot tubs and air-conditioning cooling towers. Air-conditioning and plumbing systems are breeding grounds for the bacteria, and it is the responsibility of facilities catering to residents and visitors to ensure that such systems are in proper working order and are not harboring the airborne bacteria. Legionnaire’s disease is spread when a person inhales contaminated water droplets, and it cannot be spread from person to person.
Outbreaks of disease in any location where people are in close proximity to one another is always cause for concern. However, when a disease isn’t even spread via human interaction, but through some other more preventable component, it becomes the responsibility of the individual or entity in charge of said component to take the necessary action in order to correct the problem. Negligent behavior and failure to act should never be an excuse for another person’s pain and suffering.
If you have fallen ill due to Legionnaire’s disease or any other ailment that may have been caused by negligent behavior on the part of another person, don’t hesitate to contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for a free evaluation of your case. As an experienced Legionnaire’s disease lawyer, Steven H. Heisler will ensure that your rights are upheld at all times. Personal injury claims should not be ignored, and those responsible for your injuries or illness should be held accountable for their actions. Please call us today for a case consultation.
Source:http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/bal-md.hs.legionnaires16oct16,0,7986418.story
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LEGIONNAIRE BACTERIA DISCOVERED AT MARYLAND GENERAL HOSPITAL
By Steve Heisler on January 12, 2009
For the second time in the last 22 months, evidence of the deadly legionella bacteria has been reported at Maryland General Hospital.
Officials at Maryland General report that the virus was discovered on January 5th, 2009 in the shower area during routine testing of the Baltimore hospital’s water supply. While patients and staff members are being advised to drink bottled water and access to the showers are restricted, there are no reports of anyone becoming infected.
Legionnaire’s disease affects between 10,000 to 50,000 Americans every year. The disease kills between five and 30 percent of those who contract it.
Patients contact Legionnaire’s disease when they inhale vapor or mist that has bacterial contamination. It cannot be transmitted from person to person. The disease often occurs in hospitals, cruise ships and air conditioned hotels where bathtubs, whirlpool spas and hot tubs, humidifiers and plumbing systems become contaminated. Contact a Maryland Legionnaire’s Disease Lawyer if you believe you’ve been infected.
Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease include cough, chills and high fever. Victims are usually diagnosed with pneumonia. If you suspect you may have contacted Legionnaire’s disease insist that you be given a urine test and tested specifically for the disease. Once diagnosed, patients are treated with heavy doses of antibiotics. Call a Baltimore Legionnaire’s Disease Attorney to get more information.
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