Dive Brief:
- Two construction workers have filed lawsuits against two contractors, alleging the firms overlooked health hazards that contributed to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City, NBC News reported.
- Nunzio Quinto claimed he was exposed to the bacteria while working at the New York City Public Health Laboratory Building in Harlem. He filed suit against Skanska USA Building. Duane Headley filed a complaint against Rising Sun Construction, saying he was infected at a different Harlem jobsite on another public health lab project.
- To date, six people have died in the Legionnaires’ outbreak that started from water collected in cooling towers at Harlem Hospital, and cases have risen to 111, ABC7 reported.
Dive Insight:
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Ben Crump, appeared alongside the construction workers to announce the case on Aug. 20.
"This medical tragedy that led to the deaths of five citizens from Harlem, that we know about, was a completely preventable outbreak," Crump said.
The workers claim that the construction firms failed to adequately test water in cooling towers after several days of rain had pooled on the roof, which was then followed by intense heat that allowed the Legionnaires’ bacteria to flourish, ABC7 reported.
Skanska does not comment on pending litigation, it said in a statement shared with Construction Dive, but said it is cooperating with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to inspect and disinfect the cooling tower on the health lab project.
“We will continue to implement all necessary mitigation and communication procedures to ensure the safety of our workers and the surrounding public,” Skanska’s statement read.
South River, New Jersey-based Rising Sun Construction is a general contractor with multiple projects of varying sizes and types across the city, according to its website. The firm did not respond to Construction Dive’s requests for comment.
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It doesn’t spread person to person, but rather by breathing in mist containing the bacteria, which proliferates in warm water.
