12 hours ago
New lawsuits accuse construction companies in deadly New York City outbreak of Legionnaires' disease
A pair of construction companies overlooked safety concerns, causing a 'completely preventable' outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York City that's killed at least five people and sickened dozens more, according to lawsuits filed on Wednesday.
The Harlem outbreak has been traced back to July 26 with clusters in Upper Manhattan ZIP codes 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039, officials said.
"This medical tragedy that led to the deaths of five citizens from Harlem, that we know about, was a completely preventable outbreak," plaintiffs' attorney Ben Crump told reporters.
"It was completely preventable. And so when corporations cut corners, tragedies like this happen, preventable tragedies, unnecessary tragedies, people being hospitalized for days and weeks, having issues that cause them permanent damage."
Reps for the defendants, Skanska USA Building, Inc., and Rising Sun Construction LLC. could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.
Construction worker Duane Headley filed a complaint against Rising Sun, claiming he was sickened while working at a construction site at 506 Lenox Ave., near Harlem Hospital.
Rising Sun allegedly "created and permitted a defective, dangerous and/or hazardous condition" where Headley was working, the lawsuit said.
Headley survived the illness but remains hospitalized, lawyers said.
Nunzio Quinto claims he was exposed to the Legionella bacteria while working at the New York City Public Health Laboratory Building, near Harlem Hospital, at 40 W. 137th St.
Quinto, who is suing Skanska, said the defendant "breached its duty" to "timely remediate the Legionella colonization of the water distribution and/or cooling systems," according to his lawsuit.
"I had no energy and unable to do anything," Quinto told reporters. "I'm finally starting to get up and walk around a little bit now and can do basic things."
While the plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation for their medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, Quinto said he hopes these civil actions unearth reasons behind the outbreak.
"But my thing is, I want answers to what's going on," said Quinto, alongside civil rights activists Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton. "I can't have a safe place to work? This is New York City."
