Seven elementary school classrooms in Pinellas County, Florida, were vacated this month after a beloved teacher died from Legionnaires’ Disease.
Katherine Pennington, a kindergarten teacher employed by the Pinellas County School District, died on Nov. 24 after testing positive for Legionella bacteria. As of Wednesday morning, it is unclear where Pennington may have been exposed to the bacteria.
This month, as a precaution, the students were moved from the building where Pennington taught to other classrooms on the campus while the school’s air systems and water systems were checked. In a statement to the public, the Pinellas County School District announced that an environmental company was cleaning the building.
Officials with the Florida Department of Health recently visited the campus and confirmed that the school was in line with regulations.
An investigation is ongoing.
Pennington was an Ohio-native with a love for gardening and banned books, according to an online obituary. The 36-year veteran teacher “left a lasting impact on countless lives.” She was 61 years old.
Previous Cases
Legionnaires’ Disease is on the rise in Florida, a state known for its warm weather and recreational water activities, according to data evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control spanning from 2000-2018. The state has consistently ranked among the top five in Legionnaires’ Disease infections in the country. As a personal injury law firm in top vacation destinations in the state including Key West, Miami and Orlando, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how prevalent and dangerous this disease can be.
Historically, Leesfield & Partners has secured multi-million-dollar settlements for clients affected by Legionnaires’ Disease. In 2023, Leesfield & Partners settled two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease resulting from the same resort. The plaintiffs in those cases were unrelated and were not staying at the resort at the same time.
The firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, proved that the resort failed to properly maintain and sanitize water systems, including multiple decorative fountains on the property where Legionella bacteria was able to grow.
A six-figure settlement for each client was reached in those cases.
In a recent article with the Daily Business Review, Trial Lawyer Eric Shane, told reporters how people often discount the dangers of Legionnaires’ Disease or are ignorant of it altogether.
“If you polled 100 people, not one of them is going to tell you, ‘Yeah, Legionella. You’ve got to be on the lookout for that,’” Mr. Shane said. “We haven’t heard about this since Philadelphia. It’s not something that people think about when they’re going to enjoy themselves in a hot tub.”
Mr. Shane recently secured six-figure settlement involving a woman staying at a Florida hotel who regularly used the property’s hot tubs during her stay. On the same day as she checked out from the hotel, the woman began experiencing Legionnaires’ Disease symptoms – which include fever, swelling, shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle aches. The woman was diagnosed at a hospital with Legionnaires’ Disease and later went into septic shock and suffered from an acute kidney injury as a result.
An investigation revealed that the hotel failed to maintain the hot tub in accordance with industry standards. Our client still suffers with pain and fatigue from exposure to the disease. Mr. Shane secured $300,000 for the woman in that case.
An ongoing Leesfield & Partners case involving two elderly men exposed to Legionella at a Florida condominium complex is also being handled by Mr. Shane. One of the men in that case has since passed away. The complex at the center of that case did not have an adequate water management plan prior to this incident to prevent the growth of Legionella.
What is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires’ Disease, which was first identified in 1976 at a convention in Philadelphia for the American Legion in which 200 people were infected and at least 34 people died, is a severe form of pneumonia. The disease stems from the Legionella bacteria which grows best in warm, slow-moving water. The bacteria can frow on showerheads, sink faucets, decorative fountains, hot tubs and plumbing systems.
Legionnaires’ Disease is contracted when a person inhales water droplets containing the bacteria. Once infected, the bacteria can greatly affect a person’s ability to breathe. Those who are at a greater risk when contracting the disease are elderly people, smokers, pregnant people and those with preexisting health conditions such as chronic lung diseases, immunocompromised and cancer patients.
If you or a loved one were exposed to Legionella bacteria and believe you may have a claim, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400.