A lawsuit has been filed in the Legionnaires Disease outbreak in Napa that happened in Summer 2022. Audrey Asistio reports.
A lawsuit has been filed in the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Napa.
Last summer, Napa County Public Health detected an unsafe amount of legionella bacteria in the hotel’s cooling tower after a number of people who live nearby became ill.
At least a dozen people fell ill and one person died during the outbreak.
The lawsuit listed several defendants, including the Embassy Suites in Napa.
The bacteria can be spread over several miles from the source. No guests at the hotel got sick.
Attorney Grant Riley filed the lawsuit on behalf of Jason Groshart of Calistoga. He said Groshart was exposed to the bacteria, while having dinner at a restaurant near Embassy Suites during the Fourth of July.
Riley added that Groshart was hospitalized for weeks and almost died.
“It has really impacted his life. It has a significant amount of losses and harm to him and his family,” Riley said. “He wants to make sure that hotels like Embassy Suites and other buildings in California are responsible and maintain water systems, whether it be bathrooms, or pools, or fountains or spas are healthy and safe.”
Groshart is asking for a jury trial and payment for medical expenses among other things. Riley added that he’s concerned there could be additional victims who got sick, but didn’t know they also got exposed.
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NBC Bay Area reached out to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Napa Valley for comment Friday, but did not hear back.
