Sinars Slowikowski Secures Defense Verdict in St. Louis County Legionnaires’ Disease Trial
Sinars Slowikowski secured a complete defense verdict following a six-day jury trial in St. Louis County, Missouri, on behalf of an international hotel chain and a local property management company in a case involving alleged exposure to Legionella bacteria.
The plaintiff alleged that he contracted Legionnaires’ disease through exposure to Legionella bacteria associated with the hotel’s cooling tower and potable water system. He claimed that exposure occurred in his guest room and common areas and that the illness caused significant physical and emotional harm, including atrial fibrillation. During closing arguments, plaintiff’s counsel requested $1.2 million in damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants.
The defense challenged whether the scientific and medical evidence established that the hotel was the source of the plaintiff’s infection. The trial team identified limitations in the post-illness investigation and argued that the available evidence did not establish where the plaintiff contracted the disease. The plaintiff maintained that the presence of Legionella bacteria throughout the hotel’s water system established the hotel as the source of his infection.
Expert testimony was central to the defense. The defense’s industrial hygiene expert explained that detecting Legionella bacteria at a location does not, by itself, establish that a person was exposed there or that the bacteria were viable and capable of causing disease. Relying on a microbiologist’s findings and trial testimony, the expert also identified a difference between the type of Legionella found in the cooling tower and the type associated with the plaintiff’s diagnosis.
The defense emphasized the plaintiff’s burden to prove causation and the importance of reliable scientific evidence in evaluating alleged exposure.
Sinars Slowikowski attorneys Cheyne Adam and Alexander Baker tried the case. Both represent clients in complex toxic tort, asbestos, and product liability litigation. Learn more about the trial team through their attorney profiles.