OCEAN CITY, Md.- A Florida couple is suing the owner of an Ocean City condominium building following a 2015 Legionnaire's disease outbreak.
Mary Ann and Ronald Budra of Bonita Springs, Fla., on Feb. 27 filed the 17-page civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against the Golden Sands Club Condominium, Inc., located at 10900 Coastal Highway. It is the second lawsuit to allege that the company failed to correct the issue inside its 22-story building.
According to the lawsuit, the couple stayed at the Golden Sands from May until October of that year. In mid-October, Mary Ann was hospitalized with pneumonia-like symptoms that was eventually diagnosed as Legionairres' disease. Mary Ann Budra said she has ongoing lung issues.
Legionnaires' is a severe from of pneumonia that can be deadly. It is often contracted through old water systems.
According to the lawsuit, health officials later found Legionella bacterium in different parts of the condominium building.
The lawsuit is demanding payment of all damages, which the plaintiffs said are in excess of $75,000, to include medical expenses, lost income as well as pain and suffering.
When contacted about the lawsuit, Golden Sands General Manager Kathy England said she has not yet been served papers. However, it was news to England that Mary Ann Budra - who she knows - had contracted Legionella.
"We were never contacted by the Worcester County Health Department about it," England said.
When asked about England's claim, Debra Stevens, director of community health for the Worcester County Health Department said, "Due to medical confidentiality, identities of cases are not provided to management of the facilities or the public."
Stevens said the health department notified Golden Sands management of the initiation of a Legionella outbreak investigation on Nov. 4, 2015.
Testing for Legionella was conducted on Nov. 6, 2015 with results back on Nov. 17, 2015 showing positive samples for Legionella, according to Stevens.
