Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Raises Legal and Public Health Questions regarding water quality liability and Legionella bacteria

Working Title: Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Raises Legal and Public Health Questions regarding water quality liability and Legionella bacteria

By: Jules Zacher, JD MA; Tawny Vu, MPH

Outline

I.        Introduction – importance/significance of XXXI Olympiad

       a.       Guests and athletes of the games will travel from all over the world and all could be exposed               to bacteria

II.      Dangers associated with Legionella for travelers

       a.       False sense of security in hotels (water coming in from water company is not necessarily                      safe)

       b.      Lack of knowledge about water system maintenance within large facilities

       c.       LD can be debilitating or even lethal

       d.      LD is under-diagnosed

       e.      Cases of LD are under-reported

III.    History of litigation in U.S.

        a.       American legal system

        b.      Causes of Action

        c.       Jules Zacher’s cases

                              i.      German citizen who contracted LD at a hotel in New York while traveling for work

                              ii.      Las Vegas hotel LD outbreaks

                              iii.      Spa-associated LD at hotel in Maryland

IV.    Liability of corporations

        a.       Liability of American-owned corporations to American citizens

        b.      Liability of Brazilian corporations, including Brazilian subsidiaries, to American citizens

V.      Liability of Brazilian entities, such as the Brazilian Olympic Organizing Committee

VI.    Conclusion

        a.       Legionnaires’ disease is dangerous and it has international concerns

        b.      There is liability

        c.       Prevention is key

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.

To read more about this story, please click here.

Jules Zacher has been retained for three new Legionnaires' disease cases

Jules Zacher, Esq. has been retained for three new Legionnaires’ disease cases.

All three cases come from different parts of the country.  Two cases involve patients who died as a result of the illness; one was from Maine and the other was associated with the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Allentown, PA.  The third case involves a person who contracted the illness while in Hawaii with family; the firm is investigating a potential outbreak at a hotel on Kauai, Hawaii.

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 referred by both clients and other attorneys.

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