Lawsuit alleges man died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease while admitted to UPMC Mercy
PITTSBURGH —
UPMC Mercy Hospital and two of its physicians are being sued by a Jefferson Hills woman who says her husband contracted and died from Legionnaires’ disease while a patient.
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According to court papers obtained by Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, Barbara Primiero, who is the administrator of her husband’s estate, filed the complaint on Tuesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
In the lawsuit, she claims that the hospital and her husband’s doctors failed to adequately address her husband Reno Primiero’s symptoms. Reno Primiero, who was 62 years old, died on Nov. 23, 2024, after being diagnosed with Legionella pneumonia and other conditions, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states his death was the result of “a prolonged and preventable cascade of medical complications caused by the Defendants’ failure to maintain a safe hospital environment and failure to timely and adequately treat Mr. Primiero’s signs of infection.”
According to the lawsuit, Reno Primiero was admitted to UPMC Mercy on Nov. 4, 2024, with a swollen arm and was diagnosed with olecranon bursitis. Over the next few days, the immunocompromised patient developed a fever and a cough, among other symptoms, but was discharged on Nov. 7.
By Nov. 11, he allegedly returned to the hospital in worse condition. The lawsuit states that after testing, “Mr. Primiero was then diagnosed with ‘Legionella pneumonia,’ ‘acute hypoxic respiratory failure,’ and ‘septic shock.’”
The lawsuit further alleges, “Mr. Primiero was exposed to Legionella pneumophila bacteria present in UPMC Mercy’s water supply and/or other water sources within the facility during his admission. His profound immunosuppression rendered him uniquely and fatally susceptible to Legionella infection. This was known, or should have been known, to all defendants.”
The lawsuit claims that once Reno Primiero was readmitted to UPMC Mercy, his condition worsened, and he died on Nov. 23.
UPMC didn’t comment on the lawsuit directly, but shared this statement: “UPMC Mercy appropriately reports positive Legionella cases to the Allegheny County Health Department, which conducted extensive testing on November 20, 2024, to determine whether Legionella pneumophila was present. The testing came back negative.”
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