Legionnaires' Disease

Chicago Legionnaires' Disease Lawyer Legionnaires' Disease Resources

• Do You Have A Legionnaires' Disease Case?
• Do You Have Symptoms Of Legionnaires' Disease?
• Get Compensated With A Chicago Legionnaires' Disease Attorney
• How Our Chicago Legionnaires' Disease Lawyer Will Handle Your Case
• What Will Your Financial Recovery Look Like?

Do You Have A Legionnaires' Disease Case? Get Tested. Speak With Our Attorneys. Get Financial Recovery.

Legionnaires' disease (Legionella pneumonia) is contracted through contact with water or mist that is contaminated with Legionella bacteria — usually due to poor maintenance of a building's water system or air conditioning system. Legionella pneumonia causes severe illness when contracted and is often fatal, as was the case at the Quincy Veterans' Home in Quincy, Illinois.

Since prevention standards regarding Legionella bacteria have been established in the U.S. for many years, its occurrence in a building's water system is unacceptable and negligent on the part of property owners and managers.

Every death is tragic, but preventable and untimely death is especially upsetting and heart-wrenching. The deaths and developing cases of infection in Quincy are very troubling, and discovering cases outside the veterans' home is especially worrisome.

Do You Have Symptoms Of Legionnaires' Disease? Get Tested Now.

The medical tests for Legionnaires' disease are simple urine and blood tests. In many cases, just a urine test will do. Symptoms usually begin between two and 10 days after exposure to the bacteria, but can take 14 or more days to incubate in the body.

People who have weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease, who smoke, or who are over 50 years old are at greater risk for infection and illness.

If you have any of the following symptoms, please get tested immediately:

• Fever of 104°F or higher
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills

As symptoms advance, you may experience a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mental fog or confusion.

If you think you have been exposed to Legionella bacteria, be sure that your doctor orders urine sample lab tests for you. The disease is treatable with antibiotics in its early stages. Early detection can shorten your recovery period and prevent life-threatening complications.

We Can Help You Recover Full And Fair Compensation

Seidman Margulis & Fairman, LLP, obtained a $2.3 million verdict on behalf of clients seeking compensation for the death of Dr. Luis Enrique Acevedo Muro, a physician of internal medicine who contracted Legionnaires' disease after being exposed to Legionella bacteria at the JW Marriott Hotel in Chicago in August 2012. Our attorneys represented four daughters of Dr. Acevedo.

Our firm also represented a 64-year-old man who contracted Legionairres' disease from the same JW Marriott hotel Legionairres' outbreak. This case was tried in Cook County, yielding a jury verdict of $3.8 million, a record Legionairres' verdict. Related to this case, Steven Seidman and Melanie Fairman both received Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards for the highest reported Illinois verdict or settlement for Legionnaires' Disease cases in 2017.

Please call us at (312) 781-1977 for personalized legal guidance and representation. We have offices in Belleville, Chicago, and Deerfield.

How We Will Handle Your Case

Our team of attorneys has decades of experience handling complicated injury and death cases throughout Illinois. Our office in Belleville makes our firm a clear choice when selecting an attorney to consult about a Legionnaires' disease case in Quincy.

We offer free consultations and case evaluations and will work to maximize the value of your case:

1. We verify the presence of Legionella pneumophila bacteria and the pneumonia diagnosis with medical experts.
2. We identify the source of the bacteria — the water supply in the case of the Quincy Veterans' Home cases.
   • Other sources can be a pool, hot tub, HVAC system, fountain, physical therapy equipment, contaminated soil, or other parts of a building's water system.
   • Legionnaires' disease may also be contracted by individuals outside of an outbreak.
   • Seeking medical attention and legal help as soon as possible may prevent others from contracting the disease.
   • The bacteria can spread by air, usually through an air conditioning system or the cough or sneeze of a person who may have contracted the bacteria at a contaminated hospital, nursing home, hotel, or grocery store.
3. We work with the state health department to pinpoint the source of exposure and determine the true cause of the bacteria's development, which may include:
   • Poor water system maintenance at the facility
   • Poor water quality at the facility
   • Ineffective or improper cleaning and disinfection methods at the facility

Our team diligently collaborates with state officials and medical experts to prove the source of our clients' infections, which allows us to hold the responsible parties fully accountable for their negligent actions and inaction.

What Will Your Financial Recovery Look Like? How Will It Help?

Calculating monetary damages in cases of significant illness and wrongful death gets complicated quickly. You need an experienced lawyer as your advocate and support.

Full and fair financial recovery will help you cope with grief and cover a host of losses, including:

• Medical expenses relating to the illness or death
• Possible pain and suffering compensation
• Loss of income and other benefits provided by a now ill, disabled or deceased person
• Long-term care costs impacted by illness or disability
• Funeral costs
• Loss of consortium or companionship

Our representation will provide you with answers, negotiating power, and sophisticated trial skills, should your case require trial for your best possible result.

Get The Legal Guidance And Advocacy You Need For A Successful Legionnaires' Disease Case

Please call our firm at (312) 781-1977 to speak with an attorney today. We offer free consultations and case evaluations, and we are committed to personalized representation for each of our clients.

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