Attorney Geoffrey N. Fieger filed a $100 million lawsuit on February 2, 2016 against McLaren Flint Hospital and Governor Rick Snyder on behalf of four Genesee County residents, including 58-year-old Debra Kidd, who contracted Legionnaire’s disease while being treated at the hospital. Kidd, unfortunately, later died, 7 days after arriving at McLaren Flint ER with a headache in August 2015.
In early 2014, McLaren knew about the contaminated water in Flint, which state and city officials admitted was caused by not treating the river water piped through the distribution system with anti-corrosive materials. This untreated water created an environment ideal for bacteria like Legionella to grow and spread. Despite knowledge of the contaminated water, neither McLaren nor Governor Snyder alerted the community and, over the following months, McLaren’s patients developed the disease.
Geoffrey alleges that McLaren ignored the problem strictly out of a self-serving interest to continue to make money and Snyder, similarly, chose not to disclose the information out of concern for his chances at a higher office. He believes the Snyder administration expected to get away with the poisoning of a population because they were primarily impoverished people of color. Geoffrey also notes that complaints from residents regarding the odorous, brown water were ignored and even met with hostility. The extent of this injustice, Geoffrey explains, is why he must pursue this case and seek justice for those who either continue to suffer and those who have died from Legionnaire’s disease.
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