Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuits
Every year carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits are filed by victims and their loved ones after suffering serious, if not fatal, injuries from inhaling the toxic gas.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Businesses and Residential Apartments
As a tenant, visitor, guest, or worker of a hotel, apartment, or condominium, you have the natural right to be safe and free from any harm while working, living, or visiting these premises. When carbon monoxide is released into these structures, and an injury or death occurs, carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits may be filed in order to recover compensation.
In high concentrations for a short period of time, or low levels over the course of several hours, carbon monoxide can enter the bloodstream and mixes with red blood cells forming carboxyhemoglobin. Once this occurs the blood is prevented from carrying oxygen to other areas of the body, leading to suffocation even though the person is still breathing. Carbon monoxide has no taste, smell, or color. The only way it can be detected is through a carbon monoxide detector.
Any gas-fueled equipment can produce the deadly gas, and is most common when an appliance, such as a furnace, gas stove, or fireplace, malfunctions. The first signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are so subtle that they often go unnoticed or are attributed to something else like the flu. Without getting to an area that is well ventilated, brain damage or death can occur within minutes or hours, depending on the levels of the gas.
Sources of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits have been filed against property owners, companies of all sizes, and corporations for leaks coming from sources such as:
- Leaking chimneys
- Back draft from furnaces
- Cracked heat exchangers in a furnace
- Malfunctioning water heaters
- Malfunctioning fireplace, wood stoves, or gas ovens
- Automobile exhaust from an environment without ventilation
- Gas powered tools and generators
All of the above should be checked and maintained every 6 months to one year, and that is the responsibility of the owner, property manager, or landlord.
Filing a Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuit
It is the duty of property owners, companies, businesses, landlords, and corporations to provide a reasonably safe environment for anyone who will be visiting, living, or working on their premises. Failure to adhere to this duty is a premesis liability issue that could result in one or more carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits being filed.
Filing a Lawsuit for CO Poisoning
Many victims who suffered injuries after inhaling CO gas, or loved ones on behalf of someone who died, choose to file a carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit. These cases are often complex and require extensive investigation to prove it was the exposure to CO gas that cause a person’s injury or death. A case can become even more complicated when the potentially liable party did not know about the device or appliance malfunctioning. With the right lawyer on your side, you can feel confident in knowing any and all potential defendants will be considered and, hopefully, identified.
To avoid any destruction of evidence, and to ensure all medical tests are performed in a timely manner, a carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer should be consulted as soon as possible. If you are interested in learning about carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits, please call Wieand Law Firm LLC to discuss the details of your case.
