Las Vegas Hotel Hit With Lawsuit After Legionnaires’ Disease Death

The owners of an apartment complex and an off-Strip Las Vegas casino were named defendants in a recently filed lawsuit by relatives of a woman who had died after contracting the waterborne bacteria, Legionella, known to cause Legionnaires’ disease. The lawsuit was filed in the Clark County District Court by the six children of the deceased Bettinna Irene Brown-Morales.

Plaintiffs File Five-Count Lawsuit, Claim Negligence

The five-count wrongful death lawsuit names the owners of the Harbor Island Apartments, later rebranded as The Harmon at 370, as well as Boyd Gaming’s subsidiary, Coast Hotels and Casinos, that operates The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas as defendants. The plaintiffs accused the defendants of exposing the deceased Brown-Morales to “Legionella and other harmful bacteria and fungi, resulting in her severe illness and death.”

Plaintiffs include Clark County resident Jakob Brown, as well as Clark County residents Alex, Nicole, Samuel and Matthew Funk and Fresno, California resident Grace Funk. As noted, all of the plaintiffs are relatives and in particular, daughters and sons, of the deceased Brown-Morales.

The five-count wrongful death lawsuit accuses The Orleans, as well as the Harbor Island Apartments of negligence, as well as negligent training and hiring. Defendants are also accused of negligent supervision and retention.

The newly filed lawsuit seeks a jury trial. Plaintiffs seek general and special damages in excess of $15,000, exemplary and punitive damages in excess of $15,000, as well as relief for costs related to attorney’s fees. The heirs of the deceased Brown-Morales are represented by SOS Injury Lawyers in the lawsuit.

Exposure to Legionella and Harmful Bacteria Results in Death

In the legal claim, plaintiffs described the circumstances surrounding the death of their relative. “Legionella is a waterborne bacteria known to cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe and potentially fatal form of pneumonia that spreads through the inhalation of contaminated water droplets from sources such as showers, sinks, fountains, misters, and HVAC systems,” the lawsuit reads.

The harmful bacteria puts at risk the health of individuals exposed to it and this was allegedly what happened to the deceased woman. Per the lawsuit, between December 16, 2022, and March 4, 2023, the Southern Nevada Health District identified that The Orleans was connected to a Legionella outbreak. This outbreak resulted in several cases of Legionnaires’ disease.

According to the lawsuit, days after Brown-Morales was exposed to Legionella, as well as “other harmful bacteria and fungi on defendants’ respective properties,” she felt body aches, fever and shortness of breath, among other symptoms. Consequently, the woman was rushed into the emergency on February 16, 2023.

Brown-Morales’ condition at the time was described as critical and she was diagnosed with Legionella pneumonia. Due to acute respiratory failure, the woman was placed on ventilator support. Despite staying in hospital for two weeks, on March 4, 2023, Brown-Morales passed away. The lawsuit claims that her death was the “direct result of Legionella and other bacterial/fungal exposure from Defendants’ negligently maintained properties and water systems.”