NEW YORK, NY — September 16, 2025 — A leading attorney in Legionnaires’ disease litigation is warning building owners across the country to step up water system maintenance after a deadly outbreak in Iowa left one person dead and many more sickened.

“This is preventable—and it keeps happening,” said Ronald J. Katter, a New York-based attorney known for representing victims of Legionnaires’ disease. “The outbreak in Marshalltown, Iowa, should be a wake-up call for building owners everywhere.”

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the outbreak on September 4, reporting one death and more than 20 infections. Since then, the number of infections has more than doubled to 54, as of September 15. Officials have not yet identified the source of the Legionella bacteria, but testing of the  cooling towers is underway. They have also urged all building owners and operators to inspect and disinfect their water systems immediately.

This outbreak echoes a similar crisis in New York City just weeks earlier. In late July, at least seven people died and more than 100 were sickened in Central Harlem. Cooling towers at Harlem Hospital have come under scrutiny, and Katter has filed legal claims on behalf of residents allegedly infected by the contaminated system.

“These are not isolated incidents,” said Katter. “We’ve seen this before in New York, and now Iowa is facing the same tragedy. The law is clear — building owners must maintain safe water systems. When they don’t, lives are at risk.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water vapor contaminated with Legionella bacteria, commonly found in poorly maintained cooling towers and plumbing systems. According to the CDC, outbreaks are largely preventable through proper maintenance and monitoring.

Katter, who first gained national attention in 2015 after representing victims of the deadly Opera House Hotel outbreak in the Bronx, says the latest cases underscore an ongoing failure in oversight and enforcement.

“One death is one too many,” he said. “This is a public health failure — and a legal one.”

Mr. Katter is available for interviews on this matter. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

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About Katter Law Firm

The Katter Law Firm represents clients throughout New York City in personal injury cases including those who have suffered injuries in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, truck accidents, slip/trip and falls, hotel accidents, assaults, workplace accidents, construction accidents, professional malpractice, nursing home negligence, hospital mistreatment, police abuse, accidental deaths and pet attacks. The firm aggressively represents injured victims through the five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens as well as Westchester County. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

NEW YORK, NY — A leading national attorney is calling out the Westchester County Department of Health for what he describes as a “disturbing delay” in notifying the public about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that killed two Westchester residents and infected 35 others this summer.

Ronald J. Katter, the New York City attorney known as “The Legionnaires’ Lawyer,” says Westchester residents deserve to know why the public wasn’t informed sooner—and what officials are doing to prevent future cases.

“Two people died and 35 were sickened—and yet the public is just hearing about this now,” Katter said. “Where is the transparency? Where is the urgency? The Westchester County government has kept its citizens in the dark, and that’s unacceptable.”

According to a September 9 disclosure by the Westchester County Health Department, the fatalities included residents from White Plains and New Rochelle. Officials have not specified when or where the outbreak occurred, nor have they identified the likely source of the Legionella bacteria.

Katter is now calling for a full investigation into the outbreak and the county’s delay in releasing this critical public health information.

This news comes just weeks after another deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak in Central Harlem, where seven people died, more than 100 were sickened, and cooling towers at Harlem Hospital came under scrutiny. Katter has already filed legal claims on behalf of Harlem residents who allege they were exposed to contaminated water vapor from the hospital’s cooling systems.

“We may be looking at parallel outbreaks, both hidden from the public until the damage was done,” Katter said. “It’s time for health officials in Westchester and across the state to be held accountable.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious, often deadly form of pneumonia. It is caused by inhaling water vapor that’s been contaminated with Legionella bacteria. The bacteria thrive in HVAC cooling towers, particularly during warmer months. According to the CDC, most outbreaks are entirely preventable through routine maintenance and monitoring.

Katter, who earned his national recognition in 2015 for representing numerous victims of the Opera House Hotel outbreak in the Bronx, says the pattern of delayed reporting and lax enforcement is a recurring public health failure.

“If health departments fail to sound the alarm when lives are at risk, then what exactly are they protecting?” he said. “We cannot afford another missed warning.”                             

Mr. Katter is available for interviews on this matter. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

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About Katter Law Firm

The Katter Law Firm represents clients throughout New York City in personal injury cases including those who have suffered injuries in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, truck accidents, slip/trip and falls, hotel accidents, assaults, workplace accidents, construction accidents, professional malpractice, nursing home negligence, hospital mistreatment, police abuse, accidental deaths and pet attacks. The firm aggressively represents injured victims through the five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens as well as Westchester County. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

HHC and City-Owned Buildings Among Those Linked to Unchecked Contamination

NEW YORK, NY — August 21, 2025 — Following a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem that has claimed five lives and sickened over 100, New York attorney Ronald J. Katter has filed Notices of Claim against NYC and the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation’s Harlem Hospital alleging negligence and systemic failures in their buildings’ water system management.

Katter represents two Harlem residents who contracted the disease during the outbreak, which health officials traced to unsafe levels of Legionella bacteria in cooling towers at 12 buildings — including multiple city-run facilities that include the City University of New York building, a NYC Department of Health clinic and HHC’s Harlem Hospital.

According to the city’s own findings, nine of the 12 buildings either failed to conduct required Legionella testing or had not been inspected by the city in the past year, in clear violation of public health laws enacted after prior outbreaks.

“Because of the city’s willful negligence, five New Yorkers are dead,” said Katter, who has earned national recognition for his work in Legionnaires’ litigation. “My clients were infected by bacteria growing unchecked in city-owned buildings that ignored basic safety regulations. This outbreak was not an accident — it was entirely preventable.”

The Notice of Claim, which is the precondition to filing a lawsuit against the City and HHC, alleges the City and HHC violated New York State and City laws, which were specifically enacted to prevent fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks.

Katter first made headlines in 2015 when he sued on behalf of a Bronx man infected in the Opera House Hotel outbreak, which led to sweeping reforms in Legionella control. Yet, as this latest tragedy shows, oversight remains dangerously inconsistent.

The Central Harlem outbreak was detected by the Department of Health in July and has sent dozens to the hospital. Legionnaires’ disease is a severe pneumonia caused by inhaling water vapor containing Legionella bacteria. It poses the greatest risk to older adults and those with weakened immune systems. The CDC reports that fatality rates can reach 10% even with treatment.

For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

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* Notice of claim is available upon request.

About The Katter Law Firm

The Katter Law Firm represents clients throughout New York City in personal injury cases including those who have suffered injuries as a result of construction accidents, Legionnaires’ disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls, assaults, workplace accidents, professional malpractice, nursing home negligence, hospital mistreatment, police abuse, accidental death, pet attacks and cemetery and funeral negligence.  The firm aggressively represents injured victims through New York’s five boroughs, as well as the surrounding counties. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

Ronald J. Katter, “The Legionnaires’ Lawyer,” available for interviews on disease prevention, legal accountability, and what victims need to know

NEW YORK, NY — In the wake of a recent Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem that killed five and sickened more than 100 people, prominent attorney Ronald J. Katter is available for expert commentary on the public health risks of Legionnaires’ disease and how legal action can help drive accountability.

Known as “The Legionnaires’ Lawyer” for his work representing victims of past outbreaks, Katter has been at the forefront of holding building owners responsible for failing to maintain safe water systems — often the root cause of these preventable tragedies.

“These outbreaks don’t happen in a vacuum,” said Katter. “They’re typically the result of building owners neglecting basic safety — failing to clean and maintain cooling towers, water tanks, and plumbing systems where Legionella bacteria thrive.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water vapor contaminated with Legionella bacteria, typically found in warm water environments like cooling towers, according to the CDC. It is not spread person-to-person, but rather through mist or vapor.

Symptoms include high fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, and headaches. The disease disproportionately affects adults over 50 and those with compromised immune systems — often leading to hospitalization or death.

Katter first gained national attention in 2015, when he filed suit on behalf of a 54-year-old man sickened in a major outbreak linked to contaminated cooling towers at the Opera House Hotel in the Bronx. He has since continued to advocate for victims, including those affected by the recent Central Harlem outbreak.

“People contract this disease through no fault of their own,” said Katter. “When building owners ignore public health laws, people die—and they must be held accountable.”

“Since the Opera House Legionnaires’ outbreak in 2015, the City has mandated that the owners of buildings with cooling towers, regularly test them for high Legionella bacteria levels, treat them as required, and file quarterly reports with the city,” Katter continued. “Fines were to be imposed for noncompliance. Why hasn’t the city enforced this law to prevent this outbreak?”

Ronald J. Katter is available for interviews to discuss:

• What is Legionnaires’ disease, what causes it, how it is contracted, how it is treated —and how it can be prevented
• What legal options are available for victims and their families
• What this latest outbreak reveals about infrastructure and oversight in New York City

For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

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About The Katter Law Firm

The Katter Law Firm represents clients throughout New York City in personal injury cases including those who have suffered injuries as a result of construction accidents, Legionnaires ‘disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls,  assaults, workplace accidents, professional malpractice, nursing home negligence, hospital mistreatment, police abuse, accidental death, pet attacks and cemetery and funeral negligence.  The firm aggressively represents injured victims through New York’s five boroughs, as well as the surrounding counties. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

NEW YORK, NY — Ronald J. Katter, “The Legionnaires’ Lawyer,” urges the City of New York to be thorough and vigilant when it comes to inspecting cooling towers located on the roofs of its own buildings to prevent Legionnaires’ disease.

On August 15, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that four people had died and 101 people were sickened from the disease. This announcement came after city officials counted 12 buildings with water cooling towers that had unsafe levels of Legionella bacteria. Nine of the buildings either had failed to perform mandatory Legionella testing, or were not inspected by the city in the past year. The buildings identified include a City University of New York building, a City Economic Development office, a City Health Clinic and HHC’s Harlem Hospital

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which are usually found in water. The bacteria can grow in warm water found in cooling towers. People can contract the disease when they breathe in water vapor, which is invisible, containing the bacteria. Symptoms include pneumonia with other signs, such as cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle aches and headaches.

“The city has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of its citizens, and they failed,” Mr. Katter says. “To wait a year or more to inspect a water tower is inexcusable. The city must clean up its own buildings’ water systems and make sure that private building owners have clean water systems, immediately.”

Mr. Katter has a proven track record of handling Legionnaires’-related lawsuits, including those against landlords and corporations who failed to properly maintain their water systems. He has represented clients who were sickened during an earlier Legionnaires outbreak at the HHC Harlem Hospital.

Mr. Katter is available for interviews on this matter. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.

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About Katter Law Firm

The Katter Law Firm represents clients throughout New York City in personal injury cases including those who have suffered injuries in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, truck accidents, slip/trip and falls, hotel accidents, assaults, workplace accidents, construction accidents, professional malpractice, nursing home negligence, hospital mistreatment, police abuse, accidental deaths and pet attacks. The firm aggressively represents injured victims through the five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens as well as Westchester County. For more information, call (212) 809-4293 or visit www.katterlaw.com.