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New York Post
15 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
Deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak was ‘completely preventable,' lawyer contends — putting NYC on lawsuit notice
Victims of the deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak gripping Harlem will sue the Big Apple for allegedly letting bacteria fester in city-owned cooling towers, it was announced Wednesday. The city was hit by notices of claim — or formal declarations of an intent to sue — from two construction workers for claim they contracted Legionnaires' because both the city and their employers allegedly failed to keep them safe. 'This wasn't a natural disaster,' high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference announcing the legal action with the Rev. Al Sharpton. Advertisement 'The medical tragedy that led to the deaths of five citizens from Harlem, that we know about, was a completely preventable outbreak,' Crump charged. The notices stem from a pair of lawsuits, also filed Wednesday, against two construction companies involved in work at or near the city's Harlem Hospital — where a cooling tower was one of 12 sites in the storied neighborhood that tested positive for Legionnaires'-causing bacteria. Cooling towers atop four city-owned properties had Legionella, Department of Health officials have said. Advertisement 4 Attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton unveiled a pair of lawsuits Wednesday center around Legionnaires' disease near Harlem Hospital. Robert Miller Crump alleged that rainwater from July storms was left untreated in cooling towers, including atop Harlem Hospital, leading to conditions that spawned the outbreak, which has killed five New Yorkers and sickened more than 100. New York City has yet to be officially sued because the law requires a 30-day waiting period after filing a notice of claim against the city. But those upcoming filings against the city would likely build off the suits filed by construction workers Duane Headley and Nunzio Quinto, who respectively worked for general contractors Skanska USA Building and Rising Sun Construction. Advertisement Skanska is the main contractor for the new NYC Public Health Laboratory building at 40 West 137th St. where Quinto worked and allegedly contracted the deadly bacteria. The 10-story, 240,000-square-foot facility broke ground in 2022, with the city's Economic Development Corporation and DOH overseeing the work — which has been planning on a 2026 occupancy, according to New York YIMBY. Quinto, who spoke alongside Crump and Sharpton, held out his arm to show the dark marks from the rounds of antibiotic treatment he received to fight the pneumonia-like illness. He contended his employer didn't tell his coworkers that he fell ill. Advertisement 'I can't have a safe place to work?' he said. 'This is New York City, I can't have a safe place.' 4 Construction worker Nunzio Quinto showed marks on his arm from his treatment for Legionnaires'. Robert Miller Rising Sun Construction is the main contractor at Harlem Hospital's Mural Pavilion at 506 Lenox Ave. — on the same block as the Public Health Laboratory project — which opened to the public in 2012. What work was being done at the facility this summer is unclear. The risk of Legionnaires' disease during hot Big Apple summers is so predictable that the construction companies should have protected their workers, but didn't, argued Jared Scotto, an attorney with Weitz and Luxenberg, the firm handling the cases with Crump. 'We believe that the construction companies were on notice that the Legionella bacteria contamination was a possibility based on bulletins that were given out at the beginning of July,' Scotto said. The construction companies didn't return requests for comment. Don Weiss, the former surveillance director for the DOH who helped oversee the response to The Bronx's 2015 Legionnaires' outbreak, said he was surprised at the disease's horrific spread. Advertisement He deemed it problematic that the city government's own buildings tested positive for Legionella bacteria. 'It doesn't look good. The city should hold itself to a higher standard,' he said. 4 Twelve cooling towers in Harlem tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 4 The outbreak has killed five people and led to accusations the city dropped the ball. Rob Jejenich / NY Post Design Advertisement Weiss' own analysis of inspection records for 97 cooling towers in the Harlem ZIP codes found that just 73% conducted Legionella tests were completed within the required 90 days, meaning 27% were effectively left alone. A DOH spokesperson emphasized an investigation into the outbreak's cause was ongoing. 'Molecular testing may help us determine which cooling tower — or cooling towers — were the source of the bacteria in the Central Harlem cluster,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'The Public Health Lab is still determining a match through DNA sequencing and we expect final results soon.' Officials with Health + Hospitals argued the lawsuit notice focused on Legionella at Harlem Hospital's cooling tower ignores the 11 other towers that tested positive. Advertisement 'NYC Health + Hospitals has a one of the most rigorous cooling tower safety and inspection programs, exceeding City testing and cleaning requirements,' a statement from the hospital system reads. 'We inspect towers every day; further, we look for legionella weekly instead of the required every 90 days.' Sharpton argued that Harlem had been neglected. 'It is frightening to us that there's not been accountability in this situation,' he said. 'So, we make this move to begin the process of accountability.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak fueled by negligence, lawsuit says
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has filed lawsuits against two construction companies over what he called a "completely preventable" outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that has killed five people and sickened more than 100 others in New York City. Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella, which grows in warm or hot water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An outbreak of the disease, which began on July 25, has been clustered across five zip codes in Central Harlem. The city health department said the outbreak is linked to cooling towers, heat exchangers that use fans and water to cool down buildings. On Aug. 14, health officials confirmed that 12 cooling towers at buildings including NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem tested positive for the Legionella bacteria. Crump and other attorneys filed complaints on behalf of two construction workers who were hospitalized with Legionnaire's disease in July after working near the hospital in Harlem, according to a news release. Crump said the legal team has also filed a notice of claim and intend to sue the city as well. "It is believed that the cooling towers at Harlem Hospital were filled with rainwater after several large July storms," the release said. "The water was left untreated, which permitted bacteria to spread causing workers at the site to become sick." Construction companies, city accused of negligence Crump accused Skanska USA Building, Inc., Rising Sun Construction LLC and the city of negligence at a news conference on Aug. 20, announcing the lawsuits. The attorneys said the construction companies were put on notice about the possibility of Legionella bacteria through bulletins after the storms, but failed to take action to keep those working near the hospital safe. "When corporations cut corners, tragedies like this happen. Preventable tragedies, unnecessary tragedies," Crump said. Crump said the lawsuit is seeking not only compensation for the workers but also accountability and answers about why this outbreak occurred in Harlem — a historically Black neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. Skanska and Rising Sun did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY. Christopher Miller, a spokesperson for NYC Health + Hospitals, said in a statement the agency has "one of the most rigorous cooling tower safety and inspection programs, exceeding City testing and cleaning requirements." "We inspect towers every day; further, we look for legionella weekly instead of the required every 90 days," the statement said. "We continue to work with our cooling tower maintenance firm and the NYC Health Department to best serve our patients and the Harlem community.' When asked about Crump's claims about the source of the outbreak, a spokesperson for the city's health department said the investigation is ongoing. "Molecular testing may help us determine which cooling tower — or cooling towers — were the source of the bacteria in the Central Harlem cluster," spokesperson Chantal Gomez said in a statement. "The Public Health Lab is still determining a match through DNA sequencing and we expect final results soon.' Electrian describes gasping for air while hospitalized with Legionnaire's Nunzio Quinto, a union electrian who worked at a ground-up construction of the NewYork City Public Health Laboratory, a 10-story facility adjacent to the hospital complex, said he thought he had food poisoning when he first started feeling lethargic in late July. Quinto said his family took him to the hospital, where he was immediately diagnosed with Legionnaire's disease. He suffered breathing problems, pain and internal bleeding during a five-day stay in the hospital, but said his coworkers weren't notified of his illness. "I want answers to what's going on. I can't have a safe place to work? This is New York City," Quinto said at the news conference. Contributing: Thao Nguyen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lawsuit blames Legionnaires' disease outbreak on negligence
NBC News
18 hours ago
- Health
- NBC News
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."
USA Today
21 hours ago
- Health
- USA Today
Deadly NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak fueled by negligence, lawsuit says
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has filed lawsuits against two construction companies over what he called a "completely preventable" outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that has killed five people and sickened more than 100 others in New York City. Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella, which grows in warm or hot water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An outbreak of the disease, which began on July 25, has been clustered across five zip codes in Central Harlem. The city health department said the outbreak is linked to cooling towers, heat exchangers that use fans and water to cool down buildings. On Aug. 14, health officials confirmed that 12 cooling towers at buildings including NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem tested positive for the Legionella bacteria. Crump and other attorneys filed complaints on behalf of two construction workers who were hospitalized with Legionnaire's disease in July after working near the hospital in Harlem, according to a news release. Crump said the legal team has also filed a notice of claim and intend to sue the city as well. "It is believed that the cooling towers at Harlem Hospital were filled with rainwater after several large July storms," the release said. "The water was left untreated, which permitted bacteria to spread causing workers at the site to become sick." Construction companies, city accused of negligence Crump accused Skanska USA Building, Inc., Rising Sun Construction LLC and the city of negligence at a news conference on Aug. 20, announcing the lawsuits. The attorneys said the construction companies were put on notice about the possibility of Legionella bacteria through bulletins after the storms, but failed to take action to keep those working near the hospital safe. "When corporations cut corners, tragedies like this happen. Preventable tragedies, unnecessary tragedies," Crump said. Crump said the lawsuit is seeking not only compensation for the workers but also accountability and answers about why this outbreak occurred in Harlem — a historically Black neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. Skanska and Rising Sun did not immediatedly respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY. When asked about Crump's claims about the source of the outbreak, a spokesperson for the city's health department said the investigation is ongoing. "Molecular testing may help us determine which cooling tower — or cooling towers — were the source of the bacteria in the Central Harlem cluster," spokesperson Chantal Gomez said in a statement. "The Public Health Lab is still determining a match through DNA sequencing and we expect final results soon.' Electrian describes gasping for air while hospitalized with Legionnaire's Nunzio Quinto, a union electrian who worked at a ground-up construction of the NewYork City Public Health Laboratory, a 10-story facility adjacent to the hospital complex, said he thought he had food poisoning when he first started feeling lethargic in late July. Quinto said his family took him to the hospital, where he was immediately diagnosed with Legionnaire's disease. He suffered breathing problems, pain and internal bleeding during a five-day stay in the hospital, but said his coworkers weren't notified of his illness. "I want answers to what's going on. I can't have a safe place to work? This is New York City," Quinto said at the news conference. Contributing: Thao Nguyen
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With AI, ‘walk before you run': Skanska USA exec
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Anita Nelson wants you to start small with artificial intelligence. The chief strategy officer for Skanska USA Building, the U.S. arm of the Swedish builder and developer, Nelson discussed the suite of AI products that the contractor has rolled out to its employees, which it calls Sidekicks. The Safety Sidekick, Skanska's newest internal offering, helps employees access Skanska data on safety and jobsite conditions. It helps employees plan toolbox talks and huddles, and gives them a resource at their disposal. Here, Nelson talks with Construction Dive about the Safety Sidekick's origins, how it fits into the company's current AI suite and the advice she has for builders looking to incorporate AI into their own workflows. Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. ANITA NELSON: We saw a need to make these insights more immediate and more actionable on jobsites. This data is not often leveraged in real time. Sidekick allows us to look at that data in a specific way. Using generative AI trained on Skanska-specific safety data and jobsite conditions, it allows us to deliver custom toolbox talks, safety observations and proactive suggestions to workers. On a day-to-day basis, that means workers can ask the AI tool safety related questions via mobile or desktop and get instant support for planning a morning huddle or addressing a new hazard. Beyond text, if you've got a picture of site conditions that day, you can ask questions related to that image. The tool is also embedded into our workflow, so it's not an added step in the day, it's very user friendly. Our data solutions team, in collaboration with information technology, they've developed four secure internal AI tools. There's Skanska Sidekick, which is based on OpenAI's GPT-4o model. That's a general use chat bot that protects user business data so you can ask it anything within our organization or outside our organization. Then we have three 'expert' sidekicks. One's called My Skanska Sidekick, and that searches for key documents on our internal intranet site. So, if you're looking for a risk management protocol or our sustainability report, or who's the leader of something, you can ask it for that. Then, we have an Operational Risk Sidekick, which is one of my other favorites, for our folks in the field. It's comprised of thousands of case studies and experiences across different project types and building systems. It gives you strategies and mitigation plans for existing risks on jobs. Safety Sidekick is the newest member of our suite. Because we had developed others, it was really about making sure that we got the documents in place. Our early users constantly give us feedback in real time on what's working and what's not. We don't launch things, you know, to all 3000-plus building employees right away. We take time to pilot, see what's working, see what's not. I don't think we ran into any hurdles on this particular launch, because the technology is there. I don't want to say it's as easy as plug-and-play, because my data scientists would tell me it's more complex than that. But really, a lot of our challenges are going to be about the quality of the data and whether our data warehouse has the right information. Our early users are definitely reporting time saved when preparing safety briefings and improved jobsite engagement. I think that is critical. When you're preparing for a morning huddle, you might be preparing for that the night before. You might be planning that day before on your commute. This makes it really easy for people. They're not getting to the trailer and figuring it out. They're not staying late the night before to figure it out. Start with the data that you know. You start with the low hanging fruit. When you're looking at generative AI or language models, if you have documents and you want to have them scanned and create a chat bot on top of it, that's all well and good. But, if there's not an infrastructure that you invest in to do that, that's where you're going to run into trouble. Additionally, we were able to build this ourselves. Don't think you have to build it yourself. We have a big enough organization and a lot of our own systems and protocols that require that. But there are products off the shelf. I wouldn't be able to list them or the sites, but I know they exist, and so you can start small by testing one thing. I think for us we started with operational risk. We started with the general Skanska Sidekick to play around with these things, to answer immediate challenges. Safety was not the first tool. While it was at the top of the list, we wanted to make sure that we have this right, because you don't want to have the wrong safety information. You want to walk before you run. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
