There’s nothing quite like the sights and sounds of the casino. But the smells?
A Pennsylvania casino is now facing a lawsuit after a plumbing issue allegedly doused a woman playing slots with sewage. She claims the incident, which happened in July, left her traumatized and hospitalized for more than two weeks.
While playing slots with her husband at Live! Casino in Pittsburgh, Rita Romagnoli says she was drenched in fecal matter when an overhead pipe burst. The lawsuit claims she got seriously ill and spent 15 days in the hospital.
“She didn’t know what had happened,” Romagnoli’s attorney, Joseph Hudock Jr., told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “She didn’t know what had fallen on her, but it didn’t take long to figure out it smelled pretty bad. A couple of days later, she ended up in the hospital with bacterial pneumonia.”
What is Bacterial Pneumonia?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bacterial pneumonia can significantly affect lung function and quality of life over the long term.
Bacterial pneumonia is often caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, making it the most common type in the United States. It spreads mainly when infected people cough, sneeze, or talk, releasing respiratory droplets that others inhale. Another less common way to catch pneumonia is by touching surfaces with the bacteria and then touching your nose or mouth.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is another bacterial cause of pneumonia. Usually found in human feces, it can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound infections, and meningitis. This type is prevalent in healthcare settings, mainly affecting patients using breathing machines or intravenous catheters.
Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Complications can be severe and include necrotizing pneumonia, empyema (a collection of pus in the lung's lining), meningitis, sepsis, and multiple organ failure.
Treatment involves antibiotics, and most people start recovering within a few days.
Couple Seeking Monetary Damages
The couple is seeking $30,000 in damages from Stadium Casino LLC, the operator of Live! Casino at Westmoreland Mall.
They allege that the company neglected to maintain and repair the premises to ensure proper guest safety and failed to inspect and address known and unknown defects.
The complaint also states the woman suffered embarrassment, mental anguish and emotional and psychological trauma.
KDKA Reporting a Second Incident at Same Casino
According to KDKA TV, Romagnoli's incident might not have been the first time a questionable liquid leaked onto a slot machine player at the Westmoreland Mall casino.
An unidentified woman recalled an earlier experience playing slots — she was suddenly drenched as water poured down on her and the man playing next to her. She described herself as "soaking wet," with the liquid dripping from her hair and clothes.
Although the casino assured her that the liquid was just water, the woman, who remained anonymous and off camera, shared her story with KDKA-TV.
Casino Located in Renovated Mall
The casino's gaming area occupies a renovated space that initially housed Troutman’s department store when the mall was developed in the mid-1970s.
The casino opened in November 2020 and, as noted on its website, features 750 slot machines, 40 table games, a sportsbook, restaurants, and various other amenities.
A representative from Live Casino Pittsburgh declined to comment on the pending litigation. A representative from CBL Properties also did not respond to media inquiries.
