Legionnaire’s Disease

Legionnaire’s disease is a type of lung infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People catch the disease by coming into contact with water infested with Legionella, the bacteria responsible for the disease. Although Legionella has existed in water supplies for centuries, the bacteria was only identified in 1976, when visitors at an American Legion convention all came down with the same symptoms caused by the bacteria.

Legionnaire’s disease acts like pneumonia. People who are infected usually experience a high fever, chills, and a cough. Some patients have muscle aches and headaches as well. A chest X-ray can confirm whether or not you have pneumonia, while lab tests see whether the bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease is present in your body. Legionnaire’s disease is serious: up to 30 percent of patients who have it suffer permanent injury or death. The disease is more likely to kill children and elderly patients but anyone can become a victim.

Since the symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease usually don’t appear for at least two days after you catch the bacteria, figuring out where you got sick can be difficult. Legionella bacteria prefers warm water, like that in hot water tanks and large plumbing systems. This makes places like hospitals and nursing homes prime habitat for Legionella bacteria.

If you or a loved one caught Legionnaire’s disease and you suspect the negligent upkeep of a water system is to blame, please contact the Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” We will review you case carefully and help you win compensation from anyone whose negligence caused your injury. Call skilled Legionnaire’s disease attorney Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878 for a free consultation.

Two residents living at a Maryland assisted living center were hospitalized recently after contracting Legionella bacteria, according to a recent article in the Frederick News-Post. Legionella is the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire’s disease, a bacterial infection that resembles pneumonia.

To protect the rest of the residents, the assisted living center shut off the water. The Frederick County Health Department is testing the assisted living center’s water supply for Legionella bacteria. Legionella is frequently found in water, and can enter the lungs if a person breathes in contaminated water mist or droplets.

Until any problems with the water supply are fixed, the Health Department has allowed the assisted living center to keep using its flush toilets but has shut off the water to the sinks and showers. Instead, residents are drinking bottled water and using a portable shower with a separate water supply. They are also using disposable plates and eating utensils, since washing dishes in water contaminated with Legionella may bring the bacteria into contact with the residents.

Legionnaire’s disease is particularly dangerous to elderly people, people who smoke, and people who have chronic lung diseases. Symptoms can take up to 14 days to develop and often resemble the flu. Although finding the source of Legionnaire’s disease can be difficult, several Maryland infections were caused by poorly-maintained hospitals or nursing homes in which Legionella exposure led to serious illness and even death.

If you or someone you love has or has had Legionnaire’s disease and you suspect that a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility’s negligence is responsible, please don’t hesitate to contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” As an experienced Maryland Legionnaire’s disease lawyer, Mr. Heisler can help you understand your rights and options and will fight to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. Call 877-228-4878 for a free consultation.

The Associated Press has reported that two Frederick County assisted living facility residents have tested positive for legionella.

Legionella is a bacteria known to cause Legionnaires Disease. Legionnaires attacks the respiratory system and can cause pneumonia, which can be fatal.

The Frederick County Health Department has stated that the infected residents live at the Tranquility Assisted Living Center in Fredericktowne, Maryland. The Center has not been identified as of yet as the source of the bacteria.

The two infected residents were treated at Frederick Memorial Hospital and released. One of the victims has returned to the facility.

Since Legionnaires can only be contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapors, the facility is requiring residents to drink bottled water and has brought in portable showers. There have been water restrictions at Tranquility since September 2nd.

Individuals most vulnerable to the disease include the elderly, people with compromised immune system and smokers.

I will keep you updated as I learn more information.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the Miami-Dade Health Department says in a recent report that a faulty water system is ‘likely’ responsible for a 2009 Legionnaire’s outbreak that killed one and sickened nine others at a Miami Hotel.

The Department tested the water samples at the Epic, an upscale Biscayne Boulevard hotel, and the results linked the deadly bacteria to the hotel water system.

“A causal relationship is likely because of the extent of the contamination found in the hotel,” the report states.

But the report continues on to say that while it is ‘likely’ that the hotel is at fault, the results still do not conclusively prove that the hotel did anything wrong.

I’m sure that the family of the deceased victim and the nine guests who became ill are in disbelief that the Health Department failed to lay the blame squarely on the hotel. How can that be?

Well, even though the water samples taken from the hotel confirm that the Legionella bacteria was present, there is still a remote possibility that the ten victims acquired the disease from another source. It’s possible that all ten patronized a local restaurant or health club while staying at the hotel and were exposed to the bacteria at one of those locations.

Nonetheless, in order to rule out that the ten victims acquired the disease from another source, they need to retain the services of an epidemiologist.

Epidemiologists perform studies to determine what factors cause or contribute to disease. They also perform outbreak investigations to determine the initial source of an epidemic.

An epidemiologist in this case will compare the hotel guests who fell ill to the rest of the hotel guests and determine by statistical analysis which common link was likely the source.

An epidemiologist will play an important role in the Epic hotel case as the victims cannot prove their case in a court of law without one.

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.

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.

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

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.

Source:http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/12/OSU-settles-for-$1.2-million-in-Legionnairesx-death.html?sid=101

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

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