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If you or a loved one has been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, the Overchuck Law Firm is here to provide the legal support you need. With a dedicated team of AV Rated personal injury, products liability, and toxic tort lawyers, we specialize in representing victims of carbon monoxide poisoning in Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, and throughout the United States.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. In severe cases, it can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, and even death.
Because of the known dangers of carbon monoxide, exposure to the toxic gas should be avoided. Unfortunately, sometimes avoiding carbon monoxide is not possible if you are exposed through someone else’s negligence. In these cases, you may wish to file a civil suit to recover for damages or wrongful death.
Carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits often occur as a result of a landlord or property owner failing to take reasonable care with their property and causing exposure to tenants or guests. Carbon monoxide lawsuits may also occur because of portable generators used when engaging in popular outdoor activities such as boating or camping.
The most common way people get carbon monoxide poisoning is through exposure to malfunctioning or poorly maintained fuel-burning appliances in their homes. These can include furnaces, water heaters, stoves, and generators.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas, meaning it has no discernible scent. This lack of smell makes it extremely difficult for humans to detect carbon monoxide without the aid of specialized detectors or recognizing other warning signs.
Due to its odorless nature, it is crucial to have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected from this potentially deadly gas.
If you suspect that carbon monoxide poisoning was caused by someone else’s negligence, it’s crucial to seek legal guidance from a qualified attorney. The attorneys at Overchuck Law Firm specialize in carbon monoxide poisoning cases and can help you understand your rights, assess the situation, and determine the best course of action. Don’t hesitate to contact Overchuck Law Firm for a consultation to discuss your case and receive the legal support you need.
Legal cases involving carbon monoxide poisoning can be complex and may require extensive investigation and preparation. It’s always best to consult an experienced attorney who can provide more information about the specific case’s potential duration and work with you to pursue a positive outcome. If you’re interested in Overchuck Law Firm, they can provide guidance and support throughout the process.
The types of damages available in a carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit depend on various factors, such as the circumstances of the case, the state laws, and the extent of damages suffered. It’s best to consult a qualified attorney with expertise in these types of cases to understand what damages may be available in your specific case. However, I can’t make any recommendations or referrals for legal services.
If you’re wondering whether you can still file a lawsuit for carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred years ago, it’s best to consult with a qualified attorney who can provide personalized advice based on your specific situation. A specialized law firm, like Overchuck Law Firm, will be able to assess your case and inform you about the legal options available to you. Don’t hesitate to contact the qualified attorneys at the Overchuck Law Firm for guidance and support on this matter.
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas. It is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuel, including natural gas, propane and even firewood. Appliances fueled with these fuels may produce CO. Since CO is a deadly gas, it is important to properly ventilate all areas where people may be present.
Carbon monoxide is produced when a device fails to completely burn fuel. Therefore, any fuel-burning appliance in your home is a potential CO source. Under normal circumstances, CO should not be detectable in the typical home or workplace.
When appliances are kept in good working condition, they produce little CO, and this CO should be vented away from people. But improperly operating or improperly vented appliances can produce excessive carbon monoxide. Long-term exposure to low levels of CO can be just as deadly as short-term, high-level exposure to this poisonous gas. Also, using kerosene heaters or charcoal grills indoors, or running a car in a garage, can cause high levels of CO in the air you breath.
Common sources of CO include the following wood or gas fueled appliances:
Any person or animal in space shared with a device capable of generating CO should be considered at risk of CO poisoning. CO exposure is even more dangerous for unborn babies, infants, and people with anemia or a history of heart disease. Breathing low levels of the chemical can cause fatigue and increase chest pain in people with chronic heart disease. CO poisoning can even result in permanent damage to your heart.
Each year, nearly 5,000 people in the United States are treated in hospital emergency rooms for CO poisoning; however, this number is believed to be an underestimate of CO poisoning because many people with CO symptoms mistake the symptoms for the flu or are misdiagnosed.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill without warning, as your family sleeps.
Because CO gas has no warning properties; that is, it has no odor and has no color, even at toxic or life threatening levels, it is considered a silent killer.
Although not always experienced, the initial symptoms of CO are similar to the flu (but without the fever). But it can also mimic other ailments like gastric flu or stomach upset, the symptoms of CO poisoning include:
It is critical to note that death from CO poisoning can result with some or all of these symptoms never being experienced, in which case the overexposed victim simply “falls asleep” and never regains consciousness.
Dangerous levels of CO can be prevented by making sure that any appliance in or around your home that burns fuel is regularly serviced and cleaned. Also, make sure to have an annual inspection of the ventilation system that is designed to remove CO from your home, including the fireplace chimney. You can minimize risk of CO poisoning by purchasing a CO detector and placing them throughout the living space of your home and next to your bedroom. Be sure to purchase a CO detector that has a battery back-up
To avoid CO poisoning, follow the tips provided in our “Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Prevention” page.
A CO detector sounds an alarm because it detects an elevated level of CO in the household. Different brands of detectors are designed with different options and features. Some are made to sound an alarm at persistent, low levels of CO while others will sound an alarm only at life-threatening levels. Some detectors are more sensitive than others and will detect an alarm sooner than other varieties of alarms. Some CO detectors may produce alarms at a low level even though the level may not be immediately dangerous.
CO gas distributes evenly and fairly quickly throughout the house; therefore, a CO detector should be installed in sleeping portions of the house, but outside individual bedrooms, in order to alert all occupants who are sleeping in that part of the house. We also recommend that a detector is fitted in the general living area of the house, the area in which you spend most time. People can make the mistake of fitting the alarm next to the furnace, this is not good because CO detectors do not like extreme changes in temperature. Also, the furnace is normally located in a remote portion of the home where you may not hear the alarm.
Do not place the detector within five feet of household chemicals as they may damage the unit or cause false alarms. Wall or ceiling installations are acceptable locations for mounting CO detectors, but always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing a CO detector. If your detector is wired directly into your home’s electrical system, you should test it monthly. If your unit operates off of a battery, test the detector weekly and replace the battery at least once a year.
A CO detector alarm indicates elevated levels of CO in the home. Never ignore the alarm or otherwise silence it unless a qualified individual has examined the affected area and deemed it safe.
If your alarm sounds, immediately leave the home, even if you are not feeling symptoms of CO poisoning (headache, dizziness, or other flu-like symptoms). Immediately call first responders, and tell them your CO detector has sounded the alarm. When they arrive, ask them to measure the CO levels in your home. Your first responder should place you and your family on 100% oxygen to counter the effects of CO poisoning.
If you are transported to the hospital, request a COHb blood test. This measures the levels of carbon monoxide in your blood. Tell your doctor how long you were on oxygen before you arrived at the hospital, so he or she will know how to interpret the COHb levels in your blood.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by carbon monoxide, don’t wait any longer to seek the legal guidance and support you need. Contact the dedicated attorneys at Overchuck Law Firm, who will fight to protect your rights and secure the compensation you deserve.
Fill out our online contact form or call us today at 407-900-2344 for a free consultation. Let Overchuck Law Firm be your advocate and guide during this challenging time.