The Platta Law Firm investigates cases of Legionnaires’ disease and helps clients infected and the families of people killed by this severe form of pneumonia. You should be aware that Legionella bacteria develop naturally in the environment. The bacteria grow best in warm water and may be found especially in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks or building plumbing systems. Legionella bacteria survive and multiply if building water systems are improperly designed or if they are not cleaned and sanitized as required by law and applicable safety standards.
It can take up to two weeks from exposure to the bacteria until symptoms appear, which include, but are not limited to, cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle aches and headaches. If you were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, there is likely somebody responsible for your illness and injuries and The Platta Law Firm can help prove your case. There can be many potential liable entities, including, public and private building owners, building operators and mangers, as well as plumbing and sanitation companies. To establish liability for exposure to Legionella bacteria, you must establish that you were exposed at a particular location, and prove that the exposure was due to the negligence of that entity or its agents.
The Platta Law Firm will obtain necessary health department and building department inspections and reports and work with experts to verify the source of the disease, the location of the disease, and the exposure to that source. A history of negligent maintenance of the infected premises and previous health code citations, coupled with expert testimony is often enough to establish liability. Insurance carriers prefer to settle cases with experienced attorneys such as The Platta Law Firm, instead of risking putting their insured before a hostile jury. Depending on factors such as severity of the illness, its short and long-term effects on the victim and occurrence of complications, toxic tort cases can produce settlements between $250,000 and $5,000,000. The Platta Law Firm provides free consultations to victims of Legionnaires’ disease and their families. Please do not hesitate to contact our attorneys to schedule a consultation.
