| Read Time: 3 minutes | Legionnaires’ Disease

Did you or a loved one get sick after visiting Napa or the Embassy Suites By Hilton Napa Valley between June and September of 2022?  

Patient sick from Legionnaires' disease

If you suffered from flu-like symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fever, headache, tiredness, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and were treated for pneumonia within this timeframe – you may have had Legionnaires disease and not even realized it.  How can Legionnaires’ disease be mistaken for pneumonia?  Unfortunately, it happens all the time.  Many doctors simply treat the patient’s pneumonia and do not conduct additional testing to see if Legionella bacteria caused the problem in the first place!  

Between June and September, 2022, 12 people were diagnosed and hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease following a severe and dangerous outbreak of Legionella outbreak in Napa County, California. One of the victims died.  None of the 12 victims had visited or stayed at the Hotel but were simply within the vicinity of the hotel.   

A public health investigation conducted by the CDC, the State of California and the County of Napa concluded that a cooling tower at the Embassy Suites By Hilton Napa Valley was the most likely source of the outbreak after high levels of Legionella bacteria were discovered in the Hotel’s cooling tower and decorative fountain.  Medical science is clear that Legionella bacteria can infect people up to 4 miles from the source of the outbreak.

Riley | Ersoff LLP client Jason Groshart, 51, of Calistoga, California, is one of the 12 victims who contracted Legionnaires’ disease from the bacteria in the Embassy Suites’ cooling tower.  Mr. Groshart was celebrating the Fourth of July in downtown Napa with his family.  He had dinner at a local restaurant one mile away from the hotel and returned home.  Approximately ten days later, Mr. Groshart was admitted to the local hospital with symptoms consistent with pneumonia, and was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease the following day.  Mr. Groshart’s illness was so severe that he had to be intubated and he remained on a ventilator for three weeks.  Mr. Groshart and his family were told to assume the worst.  

Legionnaires’ disease is not spread from person to person.  You can get the disease when you breathe in small droplets of water in the air that contain Legionella bacteria.  The bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ disease can spread through the air several miles from its source.  This explains why Mr. Jason Groshart and other victims of the Napa outbreak were sickened without ever visiting the Embassy Suites By Hilton Hotel.

Contact Riley | Ersoff LLP for Your Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit

If you were near the Embassy Suites, experienced flu-like symptoms and were diagnosed with and treated for pneumonia during the relevant time frame, you may have had Legionnaires’ disease.   Call the Legionnaires’ disease lawyers of Riley | Ersoff LLP to find out if you have a case.  Victoria L. Ersoff has handled over 2,000 Legionnaires’ claims across the United States. Victoria’s detailed knowledge of the cause and effect of Legionnaires’ disease and her experience in successfully litigating these extremely complex cases is unmatched.  Victoria and our experienced team of litigators are dedicated to helping victims who sustained harm due to someone’s negligence. We handle every aspect of your case and fight to get you every dollar possible for your damages. You do not have to fight this battle alone. Call us or contact us online now to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation and case analysis with a Legionnaires’ disease attorney.

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Victoria L. Ersoff

Victoria Ersoff is a litigation attorney with over 28 years’ experience on both sides of the courtroom, having represented both defendants and plaintiffs alike. Victoria’s proactive, innovative and aggressive approach to the practice of law has yielded an unbroken string of jury verdicts for her clients. She is nationally known for her expertise in all facets of toxic tort litigation and mass bacterial outbreaks including her handling of over 1,000 Legionnaires’ disease claims nationwide. Victoria is nationally known as the “go to” Legionnaires’ disease attorney. She has handled cases across the country including all facets of toxic tort litigation, catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.

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