New lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of Harlem Legionnaires' outbreak
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Additional legal action was taken Tuesday on behalf of the families of four people who died during the Legionnaires' outbreak in Harlem.
Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump made the announcement on Tuesday morning at the National Action Network's headquarters.
They were surrounded by family members of loved ones who died during the outbreak and people who suffered illness this summer.
"My daughter won't be able to spend time she was spending and do the things she was doing with her dad because her dad was taken from us -- this was not a natural cause of death, this was devastating and I have to continuously ask about what is going on with him and I wasn't getting any answers," Lakisha Plowden said.
Plowden's partner, Bruce Scott, contracted legionnaires' disease during the outbreak and died, but doctors told her it was pneumonia.
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Her lawyers filed wrongful death notices of claim against the city for the Scott family and loved ones of three other people who they say died from legionnaires' disease.
City health officials identified Harlem Hospital and city-owned constriction site under contract with Skanska USA as the sources of the outbreak.
On Tuesday, the civil rights leaders asked for accountability and justice for the victims and their families.
"We believe as building owners the city had a responsibility to make sure that those cooling towers were checked and cleaned," attorney Jared Scotto said.
Attorneys also announced a third lawsuit against Skanska on behalf of a construction worker they say was sickened with legionnaires' disease at the construction site.
"The department of health didn't even know to test the one on top of the tower of that construction site because that tower had never been registered," Scotto said.
Civil rights leaders say many in the Harlem community were simply told they or their loved ones had pneumonia -- not legionnaires' disease.
"We believe it has been undercounted, what if she had just given up and not persisted, they never would've known the truth," Crump said.
Skanska released a statement saying in part:
"Skanska has worked in close coordination with the DOHMH to facilitate the disinfection of the cooling tower at our jobsite."
The city has yet to respond.
Attorneys announced they are filing a fourth lawsuit later this week.
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