Veterans Administration settles another Legionnaire's lawsuit

Jan. 28--A retired Army veteran and his wife have settled their Legionnaire's case against the Veterans Administration, one of the couple's lawyers said Wednesday.

"We were able to reach a good resolution with the United States," said attorney Douglas Price.

Gerald N. Caskey, 72, of Pine and his wife, Debra, stopped at the VA hospital in Oakland on Oct. 11, 2011, to get his prescriptions filled.

During the wait, Caskey washed his hands in a restroom and drank from a water fountain, Price said. Eight days later, he was in the emergency room and was subsequently diagnosed as suffering from Legionnaire's disease.

Their lawsuit was at the deposition stage when they decided to see if they could reach an agreement, Price said. He declined further comment on the agreement.

A spokesman for the Justice Department couldn't immediately be reached.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease occurred in facilities in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System from February 2011 to November 2012. The CDC traced the problem to bacteria-contaminated water.

More than a dozen people have filed claims against the government. The outbreak sickened at least 22 patients from February 2011 to November 2012 at VA campuses in Oakland and O'Hara. Six of the patients died. The VA has settled at least 11 of the complaints.

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