Atlanta Sheraton sues insurers over Legionnaire’s lawsuit costs
The owners of the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, which is big sued by dozens of guests over an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease last year, has filed its own lawsuit.
It is demanding insurance companies pay for defense attorneys and protect it from pay outs if plaintiffs win their cases.
Five lawsuits have been filed on behalf of at least 50 guests claiming damages for ‘bodily injury.’
One of the lawsuits is from the estate of one guest who died.
"It’s a question of whether the policy covers these claims," attorney for the hotel’s owner Jeffrey Diamond, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"It’s a type of a lawsuit called declaratory judgment in which the parties to an insurance policy — the insureds and the insurance companies — are going to litigate whether or not there is coverage for the claims of the people."
The hotel says the terms of the policy require the insurer to pay claims for bodily injury, which can be classified as physical injury, sickness, disease and death, according to its lawsuit.
Last summer the hotel shut down for a temporary period when six guests at the hotel tested positive for Legionnaires’ Disease.
The health department said there were ultimately a total of 14 confirmed cases and 67 ‘probable’ cases of the disease.
The 760-room hotel remained closed for several weeks before getting clearance to resume operations.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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