Harford, P.C. has filed the very first case naming three City of New York entities as defendants in the Harlem Legionnaires’ disease litigation. The three entities are the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“NYC DOH”), New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. These defendants are in addition to three privately owned defendants also named in the lawsuit—Nalco Company LLC, Ecolab, Inc., and Skanska USA Building, Inc.
The case is captioned Qiana Durant v. Nalco Company LLC et al. It was filed in the Supreme Court of New York in Manhattan on Thursday May 7, 2026.
The litigation arises from legionella bacteria released into the air from cooling towers located within Harlem Hospital and the adjoining NYC Public Lab facility, both located in the Harlem section of Manhattan. At this point, more than fifty (50) people have been retained by Harford, P.C. in connection with the litigation. In the coming weeks, Harford, P.C. anticipates filing lawsuits on behalf of all these clients.
The Harlem Legionnaires’ disease outbreak occurred last Summer. It afflicted at least 114 people with Legionnaires’ disease and caused 7 people to die. It represents the largest Legionnaires’ disease outbreak since the notorious Opera House Hotel outbreak in the South Bronx in 2015. Many of the people represented by Harford, P.C. have sustained permanent life altering injuries resulting from this outbreak.
Harford, P.C. is no stranger to litigations arising from legionella outbreaks in the New York and New Jersey communities. Scott A. Harford represents clients that suffered Legionnaires’ disease from the South Bronx Opera Hotel outbreak, the Sugar Hill outbreak in upper Manhattan, Co-Op City, a financial district residential building, various nursing homes in New York, NYCHA residential facilities, and multiple apartment complexes in New Jersey.
If you or someone you know has been injured by exposure to Legionella bacteria, we are here to help you.
Please call or e-mail us today for a free consultation at (212) 390-8983 and/or scott.harford@harford-law.com.
