A Texas hospital recently settled a lawsuit brought against it for injuries sustained by patients and visitors who developed Legionnaires' disease after drinking water at the facility. The outbreak killed three people and caused seven others to become seriously ill.

A bizarre happening

News reports say that what happened at San Antonio's North Central Baptist Hospital was more than a little strange - it was downright bizarre. Apparently, the hospital's water system was full of bacteria related to a combination of flaws in the facility's water system and construction that was occurring there at the same time.

Several people drank the water and developed Legionnaires' disease. Three of those people died and seven others were seriously injured. A lawsuit filed against the hospital and several contractors and suppliers was recently settled for $5.2 million.

What is Legionnaires' Disease?

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by bacteria known as legionnella. Symptoms include fever, chills and coughs and normally begin two to 14 days after exposure to legionnella. Although most healthy people do not experience sickness, others with diminished immune systems do - and the disease can be deadly as seen in the above case.

How to determine liability

Determining liability in cases where multiple parties may be liable for damages can be difficult. An experienced attorney will be able determine who might be responsible, under which theories of law responsibility might fall such as Texas medical malpractice, negligence, personal injury or products liability and the possible degrees of that responsibility.