A deadly outbreak of Legionella bacteria from last July has dozens of claims rolling in from the people effected. The Sheraton Atlanta hotel on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court.
What We Know:
- The company behind the suit, Sheraton Atlanta, appealed to a judge to make insurance companies pay for defense attorneys who will defend the hotel against guests’ claims. Attorney Jeffrey Diamond stated this was to protect the hotel from financial harm should former guests end up winning.
- Over 50 claims have been made so far. Out of those 50, five have now filed lawsuits claiming “bodily injury”. One of which claims that the death of a person was directly linked to the exposure.
- According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include fever, chills, cough, and shortness of breath. Treatment usually only involves antibiotics and a majority of cases are treated successfully.
- Fireman’s Fund Insurance was one of the companies in the lawsuit. They are being obligated to pay the claims as it states in the hotel’s primary policy. According to the lawsuit, the insurer is responsible in paying claims associated to incidents that involve bodily injuries, sickness, and death.
More than six thousand cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in the United States in 2016. 361 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in Georgia between 2017 and 2018.
