NEW YORK, NY — This month, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) released “Deadly Skyline: An Annual Report on Construction Fatalities in New York State.” In the report, it showed that the number of deaths on construction sites in the state, especially in New York City, has risen significantly. Ronald J. Katter, of The Katter Law Firm, says that understaffing at the NYC Building Department and fewer inspections of construction sites by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may have contributed to the increase in these fatalities.

After three years of declines, the number of fatalities on construction sites in The Empire State increased by 49% in 2021 to 61 from 41 in 2020, according to data from the NYCOSH report. That is the highest number of deaths reported since 2016, when 71 workers were killed on construction sites. In New York City, 20 workers died in 2021 — a 54% increase over the previous year’s figure of 13.

 

NYCOSH also noted that the New York City Department of Buildings (NYC DOB) is understaffed, citing an article from The New York Times which stated that there is a 25% vacancy rate within the agency. In addition, the city’s proposed 2023 budget for the city will include an 8% cut in funding for NYC DOB. In addition, OSHA has conducted fewer inspections, despite receiving a bump in funding in 2022 to approximately $612 million, compared to $591.8 million in 2021. Only 2,568 inspections were performed in 2021, which is slightly higher than 2020’s figure of 2,080, but far off the more than 4,000 inspections in 2019, a year before the pandemic hit.

 

“The fact that there aren’t enough people to operate the city’s Department of Buildings, combined with OSHA’s lack of oversight of construction sites within the state and city over the past few years, may have resulted in an increase in these on-the-job fatalities,” Mr. Katter says. “Had these problems been remedied earlier, there probably would have been fewer deaths.”

 

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 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 Legionnaires’ disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls,  assaults, workplace accidents, construction 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 of The Katter Law Firm  is urging residents of the Amsterdam Nursing Home in Manhattan and members of the surrounding community who are experiencing flu-like symptoms to be tested for Legionnaires’ disease after two people died, possibly from the disease.

On September 14, two residents died after the disease was found at the nursing home, according to the New York State Department of Health. Although both residents were infected with Legionnaires’ disease, the agency could not confirm if that contributed to their deaths.

Between June 2022 and early September 2022, the NYS Health Department investigated eight possible cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Four of the residents died, two of whom had the disease. Five started showing initial signs of Legionnaire’s disease, while one tested positive.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria. It grows in warm water found in water systems, including cooling towers. The cooling towers disperse water vapor into the air. People contract the disease when they breathe in water vapor containing the bacteria. The CDC notes that approximately 10% of all Legionnaires’ cases result in death.

Although it cannot be transmitted from one person to another, it can be serious for those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions. Legionnaires’ disease can successfully be treated with antibiotics.

Amsterdam Nursing Home was cited in 2017 for failing to adequately clean or disinfect the new cooling towers and again in March 2021 for failing to test and analyze a Legionella sample.

“New York City health codes require building owners to test and treat their water systems to prevent the occurrence of Legionella,” Mr. Katter says. “If you have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, consult with an attorney who is experienced in handling Legionnaires’ cases to learn your legal rights to compensation.”

Mr. Katter is experienced in representing clients who contracted Legionnaires’ disease, including clients who were sickened during recent outbreaks in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, New York; Harlem, New York; and Napa County, California.

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 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 — Last year, a state law went into effect to establish a public database to report worker fatalities at construction sites. However, despite the high number of worker deaths in New York, often at the same work site, there is still no construction site fatality database. Ronald J. Katter, of The Katter Law Firm, says it is imperative that the state set up the database, as soon as possible.

In February 2021, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that was sponsored by New York State Senator Jessica Ramos that required construction firms, medical professionals and coroners to report all construction-related deaths to the state Department of Labor. The agency, in turn, was required to set up and maintain the Workplace Fatalities Registry, where it would enter the data it collected and make it available to the public.  The registry was supposed to be online one year exactly after the governor’s approval.

Although the NYS DOL launched a website for the database, the records have not yet been made public. The agency claims it has not received any data since the bill became law. However, a report from the New York City Department of Buildings found that nine people died on construction job sites in 2021.

“I find it reprehensible that the Department of Labor has yet to launch this construction worker fatality database, despite the known deaths of these workers,” Mr. Katter says. “The agency has had nearly a year and a half to work on this, but its registry is still not up and running. The NYS DOL needs to be held accountable for its lack of data oversight and its failure to keep the working public up to date on the number and location of construction-related fatalities.”

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 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.

Urges Those Who Believe They Contracted the Disease to Get Tested and Seek Medical Treatment

NEW YORK, NY — Ronald J. Katter of The Katter Law Firm is urging people in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx to watch for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease in the wake of a recent outbreak in the area. He also urges those who believe they may have the illness to seek medical attention immediately.

Since May 9, four people residing within the 10452 and 10456 ZIP codes have contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported. The New York City Health Department is currently investigating these cases and testing and sampling water from all cooling towers within the affected area.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria. It grows in warm found in water systems, including cooling towers. The cooling towers disperse water vapor into the air. People contract the disease when they breathe in water vapor containing the bacteria. Although it cannot be transmitted from one person to another, it can be serious for those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions. Many symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are similar to those of COVID-19. Unlike COVID-19, Legionnaires’ disease can successfully be treated with antibiotics.

“It is critical that anyone who experiences Legionnaires’ disease symptoms — which may include one or more of the following: headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, cough, gastrointestinal symptoms and confusion — seek immediate medical attention,” Mr. Katter says. “For the at-risk population, Legionnaires’ disease can be life-threatening, so, for them, time is of the essence.” Mr. Katter also urges those seeking medical attention to “tell their physicians about the outbreak, so that they can be properly tested.”

Mr. Katter is experienced in representing clients who were sickened with Legionnaires’ disease. He has taken legal action against building owners who willfully refuse to clean and maintain the buildings’ water systems. “If those who are sick believe they were infected due to the carelessness of a building owner, they should contact an attorney,” he says.

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 The 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 — Ronald J. Katter, of The Katter Law Firm, says the lawsuit settlement proposal announced yesterday for last year’s deadly Florida condominium collapse should be approved because it is both fair and efficient.

In the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, collapsed, killing 98 people and destroying 136 apartments. The surviving victims, families of those who were killed, and the unit owners filed more than 20 lawsuits against the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association and the developer of Eighty Seven Park project, the building next door. They claimed the developer’s work from that construction project caused the condominium to collapse. This past March, the defendants offered $83 million to the condominium unit owners for their property loss. Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman, who is overseeing the lawsuits related to the Surfside building collapse, was deciding whether to approve that settlement.

On May 11, 2022, Judge Hanzman unexpectedly announced the $997 million settlement of the class-action lawsuit brought by the survivors and the families of those who died. “The enormous size and speed of the proposed settlement benefits all parties involved,” Mr. Katter said. “As large as a $997 million settlement seems, the defendants, who did not admit responsibility, might have paid much more, had the case gone to trial. The survivors and families of those who were killed decided that, although a jury may have awarded them even more money at trial, the risks and emotional toll of a drawn-out litigation were not worth it. Ironically, a good settlement is one in which neither side gets everything they want.”

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 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 Legionnaires ’disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls,  assaults, workplace accidents, construction 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.

His New Title Goes into Effect on December 1

NEW YORK, NY — Ronald J. Katter of The Katter Law Firm has announced that he will be sworn in as President of the Jewish Lawyers Guild by the Hon. Barbara Kapnick, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, on December 1.

 

The Jewish Lawyers Guild is an organization of lawyers and jurists founded upon fellowship and faith in 1962. The Guild holds a variety of activities, including lectures, programs and tours that are relevant to the legal and Jewish communities. In addition, the Guild participates in the judicial screening panels, provides a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program for its members and funds two scholarships at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

 

“I am very proud to be installed President of this renowned organization,” Mr. Katter said. “The Jewish Lawyers Guild has a history of supporting the legal and Jewish communities, fighting discrimination, promoting equality under the law, and providing financial assistance to those in need. The Jewish Lawyers Guild has performed vital and important work over the years for the Jewish legal community. I plan to continue and build on that legacy during my term as President.”

 

Mr. Katter concentrates his practice in personal injury law. He has achieved substantial financial recoveries for clients in slip-and-fall, automobile, mass transit, environmental negligence, Legionnaires’ disease, wrongful burial, and wrongful death cases. He is committed to obtaining the largest possible compensation permitted by law for his injured clients.

 

In addition to his practice, Mr. Katter is a frequent lecturer on different aspects of personal injury practice and law firm management and marketing at bar associations and for other CLE providers.

 

Mr. Katter chaired the New York County Lawyers Association’s Tort Section and is a Member of the American Association for Justice, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), Bronx Bar Association and Brooklyn Bar Association. He was Co-Chair of the New York County Lawyers Association’s Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee from 2002 to 2007 and Delegate to the NYSBA’s House of Delegates from 2004 to 2007.

 

He served as a Trustee and chaired the Scarsdale Synagogue and Tremont Temple’s Legal Committee. Mr. Katter served pro bono as an Arbitrator for Small Claims Court, Civil Court of the City of New York. He also served as a member of the Edgemont Union Free School District’s School Board Nominating Committee. He is a Democratic District Leader in the Town of Greenburgh.

 

Mr. Katter is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

He earned his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

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 Legionnaires’ disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls, assaults, workplace accidents, construction 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.

Analysis by NYC Health Department’s Lab Found Disease Originated from the Hospital’s Cooling Towers

NEW YORK, NY — Ronald J. Katter, of The Katter Law Firm, who successfully represented more than two dozen people with related injuries in the Bronx 2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, has announced that he has filed a Notice of Claim against the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation on behalf of a Harlem resident who contracted Legionnaires’ disease this past August. Analysis by the New York City Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory found that the outbreak originated from Harlem Hospital’s cooling towers.

After August 9, 2021, at least 18 people who lived in the 10037 and 10039 ZIP codes contracted Legionnaires’ disease and were hospitalized. Many were in the high-risk group of people with compromised immune systems or with respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported.

“It is imperative that anyone who experiences Legionnaires’ disease symptoms — which may include one or more of the following: headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, cough, gastrointestinal symptoms and confusion — seek immediate medical attention,” Mr. Katter says. “For the at-risk population, Legionnaires’ disease can be life-threatening. The public and healthcare providers should not confuse Legionnaires’ disease symptoms with COVID-19’s symptoms to ensure that the appropriate tests and treatment are provided.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which are often found in water. The bacteria can grow in warm water found in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems and decorative fountains. People contract the disease when they breathe in a mist or water vapor containing the bacteria.

“The spread of this disease could have been prevented, had Harlem Hospital followed local law and adequately maintained and cleaned its cooling towers,” Mr. Katter says. “If you were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, consult with an attorney who is experienced in handling Legionnaires’ cases to learn your legal rights to compensation. Claims against the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation must be filed within 90 days of the occurrence.”

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 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 Legionnaires ’disease, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, bicycle crashes, slip/trip and falls,  assaults, workplace accidents, construction 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 of The Katter Law Firm is urging people in central Harlem who tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease to learn their legal rights to compensation from the property owners who failed to properly maintain the cooling towers on top of their buildings.

Since August 9, nine people residing within the 10037 and 10039 ZIP codes have contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Seven of those who were sickened with Legionnaires’ disease were more than 50 years old, which places them in the group most susceptible to the disease. Others in the high-risk group include people with compromised immune systems or with respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported.

“It is imperative that anyone who experiences Legionnaires’ disease symptoms — which may include one or more of the following: headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, cough, gastrointestinal symptoms and confusion — seek immediate medical attention,” Mr. Katter says. “For the at-risk population, Legionnaires’ disease can be life-threatening.”

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 hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems and decorative fountains. People contract the disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor containing the bacteria.

“The spread of this disease could have been prevented, had the property owners followed local law and kept the cooling towers properly cleaned and maintained,” Mr. Katter says. “If you have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, consult with an attorney who is experienced in handling Legionnaires’ cases to learn your legal rights to compensation.”

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 The 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.