/PRNewswire/ - The first lawsuit was submitted on May 7th against the City of New York concerning the 2025 Harlem Legionnaires' Disease outbreak. Attorneys Jory Lange and Scott Harford, specialists in Legionnaires' disease cases, filed the suit. This marks the initial legal challenge in the 2025 outbreak to include New York City entities as defendants. For the first time, it identifies three city-related parties: the New York City Health + Hospitals Corp., the NYC Public Health Laboratory also known as the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

With extensive backgrounds in Legionnaires' disease litigation across New York City, attorneys Jory Lange and Scott Harford have aided victims from Harlem, Washington Heights, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn in prior outbreaks. Last fall, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC and Harford P.C. represented 16 individuals who contracted the illness in this same 2025 Harlem outbreak.

This is not the first instance where Lange and Harford have pursued action against the City of New York for a Legionnaires' outbreak connected to Harlem Hospital. They previously targeted the New York City Health + Hospitals Corp. during the 2021 outbreak associated with the facility.

More than 50 individuals affected by the 2025 Harlem Legionnaires' Disease outbreak have retained Jory Lange and Scott Harford to pursue compensation.

Harlem Hospital Linked Again to Legionnaires' Outbreak in Neighborhood

Two city-owned structures are central to the incident: Harlem Hospital and a construction site at 40 West 137th Street. According to the NYC Health Department, "[T]he Health Department's Public Health Laboratory matched the Legionella strain found in cooling towers located at two locations: NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem (Harlem Hospital), located at 506 Lenox Avenue, and a nearby construction site overseen by NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and construction contractor Skanska USA located at 40 West 137th Street with the strain found in seven patients." The site at 40 West 137th Street, owned by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is intended for the new NYC Health Department Public Health Laboratory.

This represents the second Harlem Legionnaires' outbreak tied to Harlem Hospital's cooling tower. In 2021, 18 patients required hospitalization. During that event, the NYC Health Department reported, "The Lab's analyses showed that the bacteria from one of the clinical specimens matched a cooling tower at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem."

NYC's Biggest Legionnaires' Outbreak in a Decade

At minimum, 114 cases emerged in the current Harlem outbreak, with 90 hospitalizations and 7 fatalities. "This is the largest Legionnaires' disease outbreak in NYC since the 2015 Opera House Hotel incident," stated Jory Lange.

Outbreak Could Have Been Avoided

"The Harlem Legionnaires' disease outbreak was entirely preventable," asserted attorney Jory Lange. "No illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths were necessary. Proper water treatment and cooling tower maintenance by building owners and contractors would have stopped it."

Did Building Owners Fail to Prevent the Crisis?

"Yes, definitively. It's straightforward: cooling tower water requires antimicrobial treatment to control Legionella growth, similar to pool or hot tub maintenance. Owners are legally required to ensure proper operation and upkeep. Neglect leads to disasters like this Harlem outbreak," explained Jory Lange. "Legionnaires' disease demands hospitalization for most victims, with a 10% fatality rate, underscoring the need for prevention," added Manhattan attorney Scott Harford.

Rights for Legionnaires' Victims

"Victims must understand their options," Lange emphasized. "Many are unaware they may claim compensation if exposed via a Harlem cooling tower."

Over 50 outbreak victims have engaged Lange and Harford to recover costs for medical bills, lost income, and suffering.

About the Attorneys:

Jory Lange and Scott Harford have collaborated on compensation for victims in various New York Legionnaires' outbreaks.

Jory Lange of The Lange Law Firm, PLLC stands among the nation's top Legionnaires' attorneys, securing millions for clients nationwide, including multiple NYC cases.

Scott A. Harford of Harford P.C., a seasoned personal injury lawyer in New York and New Jersey, has assisted hundreds impacted by Legionella, faulty products, and toxins.

Contacts
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC
Jory D. Lange Jr.
www.MakeFoodSafe.com
Candess Zona-Mendola
833.330.3663
[email protected]

SOURCE The Lange Law Firm