For one woman, a trip to Graceland with all the girls of her family ended up costing her her life after she fell ill with Legionnaires’ Disease. Now her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Guest House at Graceland, where the woman stayed, claiming she died from a “Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak at the hotel.” It also claimed the “hotel’s water systems were not properly maintained.”
When most people go on vacations, they plan on having the time of their lives and making memories to last a lifetime. Most probably never think that their trip could end up being fatal. For one woman, unfortunately, a trip to Graceland with all the girls of her family ended up costing her her life after she fell ill with Legionnaires’ Disease. Now her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Guest House at Graceland, where the woman stayed, claiming she died from a “Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak at the hotel.” It also claimed the “hotel’s water systems were not properly maintained.”
The woman who tragically lost her life during what was supposed to be a fun family trip was 62-year-old Linda Godsey, a Kentucky resident. She wasn’t the only one of her group to fall ill shortly after their stay at Graceland, though. In fact, “at least nine people contracted the disease after an outbreak in the pool and hot tub” early this year in June.
The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Sept. 7, and in addition to suing the Guest House, the family is also suing Elvis Presley Enterprises, owner of the hotel, and Pyramid Tennessee Management. To confirm the family’s complaints, an autopsy report conducted after Godsey’s death on June 21 confirmed that she died as a result of being sickened by Legionnaires’ disease. The report, which was “filed with the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office,” mentioned “Legionella pneumonia (Legionnaires’ disease)” as the primary cause of her death, though it also noted that “earlier medical problems suffered by Godsey were contributory.“
When asked about the lawsuit and what transpired during the trip to Graceland, Brandon Bass, an attorney for the family, said: “this was a case of a girl’s trip gone wrong.” He added, “The family had gone on a girls-of-the-family trip to Graceland, and shortly after coming back they all developed the symptoms that just worsened.”
For those who don’t know, Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial infection caused by breathing contaminated freshwater mist or droplets. Once infected, an individual may experience pneumonia-like symptoms, including coughing, shortness of breath, high fevers, headaches, and muscle aches.
How has Graceland responded to the lawsuit? Well, so far the GuestHouse at Graceland issued a statement, saying:
“Graceland is working closely with Pyramid Hotel Group, who manages the hotel. Our primary concern is the health and welfare of their guests. The issue does not affect the Graceland attraction and tours in any way.”
Sources:
Kentucky woman died from Legionnaires’ disease contracted at Guest House at Graceland hotel
Guest House at Graceland Hit With Wrongful-Death Lawsuit After Guest Dies of Legionnaires’ disease
Join the conversation!