Running a car or generator in an attached garage can cause fatal CO poisoning in the home. If the cab of a truck is defectively designed, sleeping in the cab while the engine is running can pose a danger. So can using a gas-powered generator or burning wood or charcoal in the basement, crawlspace or even next to a living area if a window or door is open, as lethal fumes could seep into your home.
The best protection against carbon monoxide poisoning in the home is to have a CO detector installed near your bedrooms. Be sure also to have your furnace serviced regularly. To learn more, visit our safety tips page.
Carbon
Monoxide Poisoning: The "Invisible" Killer
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that
is produced by burning fuel, such as gasoline, wood, paper,
natural gas, or kerosene.
Cars,
trucks, boats, recreational vehicles, fireplaces, wood
stoves and pool heaters all pose a potential risk of carbon monoxide
poisioning. Cooking or heating appliances when kept in
good working condition produce little carbon monoxide (CO). However,
improperly operating appliances, along with faulty camping
equipment and outdoor gas stoves and malfunctioning kerosene space heaters, can
produce fatal CO concentrations.
Symptoms
of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning
When
inhaled, carbon monoxide CO quickly enters the blood stream
and prevents oxygen from being transported to the body's
cells. CO initially causes headaches, dizziness, nausea
and fatigue.
Continued
exposure can lead to irregularity of the heart, coma and
death in minutes. For a complete list of the symptoms of
carbon monoxide poisoning, click
here.
Carbon
Monoxide Poisoning Deaths and Lawsuits
It
is estimated that each year carbon monoxide poisoning kills
5,000 persons in the U.S. and injures over 10,000 persons.
Many
of these deaths are due to faulty or defective products,
including lawn mowers, gas stoves, hot water heaters, furnaces,
fireplaces or snow blowers.
Exposure
can occur even in the outdoors. Cases have been reported
of children who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from
exposure to boat and jet-ski exhaust fumes.
Persons
who have suffered brain damage, or the families of loved
ones who have died, have filed lawsuits against the product
manufacturers and/or property owners for the injuries they
suffered.
Legal
Rights of Injured Persons
Claims
by persons injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning have
included claims for negligence, strict liability for failure
to warn, and strict liability for a defective product.
Damages
sought in these cases include general and compensatory damages
for:
Past and future physical pain and suffering, mental
anguish and physical impairment;
Past and future medical, incidental and hospital expenses;
Past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity;
and
In cases of wrongful death or serious injury, punitive
damages.
Contact A Personal
Injury Attorney
Persons who have suffered brain damage, or the families of loved ones who have died from exposure to carbon monoxide due to a defective product or the negligence of another are welcome to contact Lieff Cabraser.
Please note that we wish to
and can only help those already diagnosed with major carbon monoxide-related
injuries (or the families of victims killed by carbon monoxide). Those without
major CO2 related injuries may wish to visit the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, the Medline
Plus section on carbon monoxide,
or the Health and Safety
Executive pages on domestic gas health and safety.
We
will review your claim for free and without any obligation on your part.
About Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is one of the largest law firms in
the nation that represents only plaintiffs. We have a team of personal injury
lawyers, assisted by multiple nurses, scientific advisors and medical experts,
dedicated to advancing our clients' interests, including clients who have
been injured due to defective products.
"Carbon monoxide kills one, injures several in SF apartment building"
January 13, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
A carbon monoxide leak in a San Francisco apartment building killed a 77-year-old man and injured eight other people Monday night, even though an alarm meant to detect the dangerous gas had been beeping since Sunday. More...
Lieff
Cabraser has participated in over forty-two $100
million-plus settlements and verdicts. To read
a summary, click
here.
