Manhattan Legionnaires’ Disease Lawyer
Helping Manhattan Victims Recover After Preventable Legionnaires’ Disease
Millions of people live, work, study, receive medical care, and visit Manhattan every day. Apartment buildings, office towers, hospitals, hotels, schools, universities, and commercial properties all depend on complex plumbing systems, cooling towers, hot water systems, and other water infrastructure. When these systems are not properly inspected, cleaned, disinfected, and maintained, Legionella bacteria can grow and spread through contaminated water droplets, causing Legionnaires’ disease. Legionnaires’ disease is a severe and potentially life-threatening form of bacterial pneumonia that often requires hospitalization and can result in permanent lung damage or death. Because many cases are preventable through proper water management, negligent property owners and operators may be legally responsible when unsafe conditions lead to exposure.
If you or a loved one developed Legionnaires’ disease after living, working, visiting, or receiving medical treatment anywhere in Manhattan, Greenstein & Pittari, LLP is prepared to investigate your claim, preserve critical evidence, and pursue every responsible party. Call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) for a free consultation. There is no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Legionnaires’ disease cases occur in Manhattan?
Manhattan is home to thousands of residential, commercial, healthcare, educational, and government buildings that operate sophisticated plumbing systems, cooling towers, rooftop water tanks, hot water storage systems, fountains, therapy pools, and other water features. Without proper inspection and maintenance, these systems can allow Legionella bacteria to grow and spread. Potential exposure may occur in apartment buildings, condominiums, co-ops, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office towers, schools, universities, mixed-use developments, and other large buildings throughout Manhattan.
What is Legionnaires’ disease and how does someone become infected?
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe bacterial infection of the lungs caused by Legionella bacteria. Most people become infected after inhaling microscopic water droplets contaminated with the bacteria. Unlike many respiratory illnesses, it is generally not transmitted from person to person. Symptoms often resemble severe pneumonia and may include high fever, persistent cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion. Prompt medical treatment is critical because the illness can rapidly become life-threatening.
Who is most at risk for severe illness?
Individuals over 50, smokers, people with chronic lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, weakened immune systems, hospital patients, and nursing home residents are generally at the highest risk of developing severe complications from Legionnaires’ disease. Because hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities frequently care for medically vulnerable individuals, maintaining safe building water systems is particularly important in these settings.
How does Greenstein & Pittari investigate Legionnaires’ disease cases?
Legionnaires’ disease litigation requires extensive medical, scientific, and engineering evidence. Our attorneys review medical records, laboratory testing, Department of Health investigations, water management plans, cooling tower inspection reports, plumbing maintenance records, environmental testing, engineering reports, maintenance contracts, internal communications, and building inspection records. We also work closely with infectious disease physicians, epidemiologists, environmental engineers, mechanical engineers, microbiologists, and water treatment specialists to determine where exposure occurred and whether negligent maintenance caused the illness.
Who may be held liable?
Depending on the circumstances, liability may extend to property owners, property management companies, apartment building owners, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, commercial landlords, schools, universities, maintenance contractors, plumbing contractors, engineering consultants, water treatment companies, and cooling tower service contractors. Every Legionnaires’ disease case requires an independent investigation to determine who controlled the building’s water systems and whether reasonable maintenance practices were followed.
What compensation may be available?
Victims may be entitled to recover compensation for emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, rehabilitation, future medical care, lost wages, lost employment benefits, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent respiratory impairment, and reduced quality of life. If Legionnaires’ disease results in the death of a loved one, surviving family members may also have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim under New York law.
Why should I contact an attorney immediately?
Once a Legionnaires’ disease case is identified, property owners often begin cleaning, disinfecting, flushing, repairing, or replacing portions of their building water systems. Although these corrective actions may improve public safety, they can also alter or eliminate important evidence.
Prompt legal representation allows your attorney to preserve maintenance records, inspection reports, environmental testing, contractor records, engineering evaluations, and Department of Health findings before they disappear.
How much does it cost to hire Greenstein & Pittari, LLP?
Greenstein & Pittari handles Legionnaires’ disease cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and you owe nothing unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf. We also offer free consultations to help you understand your legal options without financial risk.
Why Choose Greenstein & Pittari, LLP?
Legionnaires’ disease litigation demands experience with infectious disease medicine, environmental engineering, premises liability law, and complex building water systems. Greenstein & Pittari, LLP works with leading experts to identify the source of exposure, preserve critical evidence, and hold negligent property owners accountable.
We proudly represent clients throughout Manhattan, including Harlem, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Tribeca, the Financial District, Washington Heights, Inwood, and neighborhoods across the borough. We offer free consultations, bilingual legal services, personalized representation, and trial-ready advocacy dedicated exclusively to protecting injured New Yorkers.
If you or someone you love contracted Legionnaires’ disease after exposure to a contaminated building water system anywhere in Manhattan, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) today for a free consultation.
Don’t Be a Victim Twice.