Weeks after city officials announced a deadly Legionnaire’s disease outbreak in Harlem was over, families of several victims said they were suing one of the companies they blamed for spreading the sickness.
The disease was faulted in seven deaths before health officials said the outbreak was under control.
In total, 90 people were hospitalized during the outbreak that lasted from late July through mid-August and was traced to 12 cooling towers on 10 buildings, including a city-run hospital and sexual health clinic, health officials said.
”It’s just so devastating just to know that she went in and never came back home,” said Nakia Bryant, whose aunt, Rachel Tew, died in August from the disease.
“They ruled out pneumonia. They said they are taking tests. That’s all I kept hearing,” she said.
Bryant joined families of other victims and Harlem residents who survived the outbreak at a news conference announcing a lawsuit against a construction company, Skanska USA, which they are blaming for the outbreak.
The legal action is similar to lawsuits announced last month by construction workers who contracted the disease.
Lawyers and advocates for the victims said the outbreak was preventable, and that Skankska and contractors failed to maintain safety protocols or warn workers.
“It is not lost on me that all of these victims so far are from or work in Harlem,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a victims advocate. “If this was in another community, it would not be tolerated.”
A Skanska spokesman said the company would not comment on pending litigation.
The spokesman did, however, express condolences for the victims, and said the city’s health department “has monitored our efforts ensuring full compliance with their protocols.”
Ian Avant, a military veteran, said that wasn’t good enough.
“I served in Iraq, Egypt and the Gaza Strip but still, this is one of the scariest moments in my life,” said Avant, who contracted the disease. “The doctors didn’t know what to do. Luckily, somebody did urinalysis and found that it was some bacteria and they started treating it. And things started turning around for me then. But up until that point I was dying.”
