Man suing Schaumburg hotel after contracting Legionnaires' Disease

A man is suing the parent company of Schaumburg's AmericInn by Wyndham Hotel, claiming he contracted Legionnaires' Disease there.

Vincent Petrosino, the attorney representing Stanley Stala, filed a lawsuit against Wyndham Hotels and Resorts on Nov. 7 in Cook County. The suit claims AmericInn managers were negligent and allowed unsafe conditions to exist, which led to Stala contracting the disease.

Requests for comment from Wyndham Hotels went unreturned.

In August, the Illinois Department of Public Health said two people contracted Legionnaires' Disease at the AmericInn in Schaumburg from using water in the building in June and July.

The lawsuit seeks $50,000 in damages. Petrosino said that number could change depending on how well Stala recovers.

"I don't know what the nature or the extent of the problems are going to be," Petrosino said. "I don't know if he's going to recover fully."

"As these things progress we will get a better picture," Petrosino added.

Petrosino declined to release more information about Stala and his current condition.

Legionnaires' Disease is a serious lung infection that people can get by breathing in small droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria. It is not transmitted person-to-person. Outbreaks are most commonly associated with buildings or structures that have complex water systems, such as hotels, hospitals, long-term care facilities and cruise ships.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one out of every 10 people who gets sick with the disease will die. The numbers can be much higher for those with suppressed immune systems or other risk factors.

Petrosino said even after patients are released from the hospital they must continue on breathing assistance for months and may have permanent scarring of the lungs.