State association applauds Trib's reporting on VA Legionnaires' disease outbreak

State association applauds Trib's reporting on VA Legionnaires' disease outbreak

Three Tribune-Review staffers won the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors public service award for their investigation of a fatal Legionnaires' disease outbreak at the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System.

The award, announced on Friday, was among 14 given to Trib Total Media staffers in the annual journalism competition sponsored by one of the state's premiere journalism organizations.

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New Legionnaires' disease cases at Jules Zacher, PC

Jules Zacher was recently retained to represent one of the victims of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis, IN.   He was also retained for three cases involving the outbreak at the Integrated Health Campus in Allentown, PA that sickened at least 8 patients or visitors of the health facility.

Jules Zacher is an attorney at law who has been practicing for over 35 years.  He is known across the country for his experience with Legionnaires’ disease cases and has been recommended numerous times by both clients and other attorneys.

He has had success representing victims of Legionnaires’ disease in federal and state courts across the country and is currently working on numerous cases in Hawaii, California, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Legionnaires’ disease lawsuits at VA Pittsburgh hospitals settled

Families of VA Pittsburgh patients who had contracted Legionnaires’ disease are relieved that a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit against the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.  They remain frustrated, however, that VA personnel will not be held accountable for the outbreak which included at least 22 illnesses and 6 deaths.

“I’m relieved it’s over, but it’s not nearly what they deserved,” said Debbie Balawejder whose father was 85-year-old Frank “Sonny” Calcagno, who died Nov. 22, 2011 due to Legionnaires’ disease.

“To me, what they did was criminal,” Balawejder continued.  “They’re never going to pay the way they should for what they did.”

U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus agreed that “these settlements have nothing to do with holding the individuals responsible for [the veterans’] deaths accountable.”

Rep Rothfus also said that there are still “questions that the VA must answer.”

Multiple other members of congress have been involved in this Veterans Affairs situation, including Reps. Tom Murphy and Mike Doyle, and Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey.

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