Millbrook hotel faces Legionnaires lawsuit

Montgomery law firm Beasley-Allen has filed a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of two Jefferson County families, who the suit contends contracted Legionnaires disease while staying at the Sleep Inn & Suites in Millbrook.

Clayton Wheat and Tony Renta, along with several members of a girls' softball team, became ill and several tested positive for Legionnaires disease after a weekend stay at the Sleep Inn & Suites, according to the suit filed by the Beasley Allen Law Firm in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

Legionnaires disease is a severe respiratory disease caused by the bacteriumLegionella. Beasley-Allen attorney Ben Locklar with is representing the plaintiffs.

"One thing all of those who developed symptoms had in common was an overnight stay at the Sleep Inn and Suites in Millbrook" Locklar said. "Guests expect a reasonable amount of care to be taken in regards to health and safety. It is clear that the hotel's water system and cooling system have not been properly maintained and that the infected were unknowingly exposed to bacteria-laden water, mist and air at the hotel."

The Wheat and Renta families, in the area for a local softball tournament, were among at least 14 people who became sick with flu-like symptoms including difficulty breathing, elevated temperature, body aches, dizziness, headaches, and chills, according to the suit.

Legionnaires disease is typically contracted by inhaling or ingesting Legionellabacteria. The bacteria can also cause related illness, such as Pontiac fever, pneumonia, and other serious and sometimes permanent health conditions.

Legionella bacterium is commonly found in water or in mist. If water sources are not properly cleaned or treated, those who come in contact with the contaminated water can ingest the dangerous bacteria and become seriously ill or die. Legionella can also form in air conditioning duct systems and be inhaled by others who are exposed to the mist from those systems. Legionella cannot be transmitted from person to person.

The defendant named in the lawsuit is Choice Hotels International, Inc., doing business as Sleep Inn & Suites in Millbrook -Prattville.