Last year's outbreak led to 118 cases and seven deaths.
Four lawsuits are being filed against the city over the deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem last year.
Attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton were joined by victims and families of victims of the 2025 Harlem Legionnaires’ outbreak to announce the lawsuits.
That outbreak led to 118 cases and seven deaths. Bacteria was traced back to cooling towers in the neighborhood, including those at Harlem Hospital and the New York City Public Health Lab on 137th Street.
According to the lawsuits, the city and Health and Hospitals failed to properly test, treat and maintain the cooling towers, failed to comply with cooling tower regulations and failed to warn the public of the danger.
“We are not going to allow them to be forgotten as just, 'Oh, this is something that happened.' It happened. It needs to be dealt with. Those that were negligent or in any way guilty need to be able to be called into accountability, and National Action Network stands with these lawyers and these families,” Sharpton said.
The suits seek damages for serious and permanent personal injury, emotional distress, economic loss and wrongful death claims.
“Protecting public health and safety is at the center of the City’s response. We will carefully review these cases,” a spokesman for the city's law department said in a statement.
NY1 has reached out to Health and Hospitals and is awaiting their response to the lawsuits.
The suits come as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in response to the Legionnaires’ outbreaks.
The new law requires building owners to conduct more frequent routine disinfections of cooling towers. It also raises the penalties for those who fail to comply.
Seven people died from the outbreak on the Upper East Side this year.
| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fourth person dies in Upper East Side Legionnaires’ outbreak | 0 | 11.26 | 21-07-2026 |
| 2 | 4th person dies from Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Manhattan | 0 | 12.49 | 21-07-2026 |
| 3 | Seventh person dies of Legionnaires' disease linked to Upper East Side outbreak | 0 | 11.16 | 31-07-2026 |
| 4 | Fifth death reported in NYC Legionnaires' outbreak | 0 | 10.42 | 22-07-2026 |
| 5 | Third person dies amid NYC Legionnaires' outbreak, officials say | 0 | 5 | 20-07-2026 |
| 6 | Death toll rises to 9 in Upper East Side Legionnaires’ outbreak | 0 | 10.4 | 14-08-2026 |
| 7 | Число жертв «болезни легионеров» в Нью-Йорке выросло до шести | 0 | 23.68 | 29-07-2026 |
| 8 | В Нью-Йорке шесть человек умерли из-за вспышки "болезни легионеров" | 0 | 17.23 | 29-07-2026 |
| 9 | Haven Plaza residents raise concerns over Legionnaires’ disease response | 0 | 7.16 | 30-07-2026 |
| 10 | 45 years after first AIDS report, HIV cases are rising again in NYC | 0 | 17.1 | 09-06-2026 |