News of a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak is unfolding in Harlem with a new lawsuit filed against two construction companies and the city of New York. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is spearheading this litigation, accusing Rising Sun Construction and Skanska USA of negligence after an outbreak that has claimed five lives and sickened over a hundred. ABC7NY reports that the lawsuits argue these companies failed to adequately maintain storm water in cooling towers on the property of Harlem Hospital.
According to the allegations, clarified by attorney Ben Crump in a statement obtained by USA TODAY, the outbreak was "completely preventable," asserting that the construction firms and the city had been notified through bulletins about potential Legionella bacteria but neglected to act. After several July storms filled cooling towers with rainwater, the water sat untreated, facilitating the spread of the bacteria.
Rev. Al Sharpton highlighted the gravity of the situation during a news conference discussed by ABC7NY, pointing to the heart of Harlem as the outbreak's epicenter. The historical and cultural significance of the neighborhood amplifies the fallout, with attorneys seeking not just compensation for the victims, but accountability as well. They've argued that this has happened one too many times in this particular area.
One voice from the impacted workers is union electrician Nunzio Quinto, who described the severity of his symptoms, stating to ABC7NY, "I've got a rash coming out of here, I don't know what it is...I'm in pain right now because I have something going down my right leg which I didn't have before this happened...I had breathing problems, I couldn't even talk, I had to gasp for air and internal bleeding." Despite his severe condition, revelations about the potential environmental hazard were not immediately shared with his coworkers, adding to the claims of negligence.
The New York City Health Department has yet to confirm which cooling towers released the fatal strain of Legionella, but spokesperson Chantal Gomez, in a statement to USA TODAY, emphasized that the Public Health Lab's DNA sequencing efforts are in full swing, expecting conclusive results soon.
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