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.
