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.