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Member Wins 2017 Verdict Award

Oct 31, 2017 | News

North Shore Law congratulates member Melanie Fairman on winning Law Bulletin Media’s 2017 Highest Reported Illinois Award for Legionnaires’ Disease. She was awarded this honor at the Peninsula Hotel on October 26th. Earlier this year, Melanie and her partner garnered a verdict of $3,800,000.00 on behalf of their client, a 64 year old attorney from New Jersey, who was involved in Legionella exposure at the JW Marriott in Chicago where he was staying.  The hotel fountain was the source of the Legionella bacteria.  Plaintiff was not hospitalized, but acquired a case of pneumonia caused by the Legionnaires disease.  The pneumonia was treated appropriately with antibiotics and resolved within three weeks.  As a result of the illness, however, Plaintiff alleged he sustained cognitive difficulties which prevented him from practicing as a defense trial attorney.  Infectious disease physicians and neuropsychologists were called to testify. Fairman’s arguments prevailed over the defense position that Plaintiff already planned to retire and he could not have sustained permanent neurocognitive injuries because he was not ill enough to be hospitalized and he had no signs of infection that were apparent on any imaging.