Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is known as the invisible killer because it is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from burning fuel such as gasoline and natural gas. Hundreds and thousands of people are seriously injured and even killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Usually the injuries and deaths occur due to defective appliances and machinery such as lawnmowers, generators, gas stoves, hot water heaters, furnaces and motor vehicles.

Even if people are in well ventilated areas or outdoors, it is possible to get harmed by carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisioning can fall under the categories of general negligence or premises liability. Individuals who have suffered injuries or have experienced the loss of a loved one due to carbon monoxide poisoning, have filed lawsuits against product manufacturers and property owners.

Florida Carbon Monoxide Injury Attorneys

The attorneys at Levine & Glassman are experienced personal injury attorneys. They represent clients in Weston, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas. If you or a loved one was injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning, you may be awarded compensation. Contact us at (954) 332-6100 for a free consultation on your legal options if you have been injured by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide Injury Information Center

• What is Carbon Monoxide?
• Signs and Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Potential Responsible Parties for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Steps to take if you have been poisoned by carbon monoxide
• Ways to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the home
• How to file a carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit

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What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that is highly toxic when exposed to humans and other animals in high quantities. The chemical formula for carbon monoxide is CO meaning that it consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond.

Carbon monoxide is produced when there is not enough oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) such as when a stove or an internal combustion engine is operated in a enclosed space.

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Signs and Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Due to the fact that carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and colorless, you might not realize you are exposed to it until you start feeling sick. When inhaled, carbon monoxide CO quickly enters the blood stream and prevents oxygen from being transported to the body's cells. Your body is basically starved of oxygen so that is why coma and death can result from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Even if you are feeling sick, a lot of the signs and symptoms are similar to the flu, food poisoning or other illnesses so you still might not automatically think of carbon monoxide poisoning. Here are a list of commons signs and symptoms of moderate to severe CO poisoning:

• Mild to severe headaches
• Mild to severe dizziness
• Mild to severe nausea
• Mental Confusion
• Shortness of breath
• Fainting spells

Even at moderate level exposure to carbon monoxide, there is a real possibility of death. If you are in an enclosed space and you start to have any of these signs or symptoms, it is best to go outside or to a well ventilated area. If the signs and symptoms persist, then carbon monoxide poisoning might not be the cause of your illness.

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Potential Responsible Parties for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are a number of parties that can be held responsible for the damage caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Depending on who is responsible for the maintainance and upkeep of the building where the carbon monoxide posioning occured, the following indviduals are potentially liable:

• landlords
• apartment complex owners
• condo owners
• rent house owners or landlords
• gas companies
• manufacturers of defective products

If you contact a personal injury attorney, they can start an investigation into the source of the carbon monoxide poisoning. After the source is ascertained, the attorneys can determine who bears the liability for your injuries.

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Steps to take if you have been poisoned by carbon monoxide

Here are some basic steps to take if you believe that you have been poisoned by carbon monoxide:

• Get fresh air immediately
• Open the doors and windows to ventilate the area, turn off any appliances that could emit CO and if possible leave the area immediately.
• Go to an emergency room
• It is best to go to the emergency room and get a blood test to determine if you actually have carbon monoxide poisoning. If you do have carbon monoxide poisoning it is important to identify the source of the poisoning because continued exposure could lead to serious disability or even death.

It is important to ask yourself these questions if you have been diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Where do your symptoms occur? Only in the house? Do the symptoms disappear when you leave one room and then appear again when you enter the same room?
• Does anyone else complain of similar symptoms? Are the symptoms occurring at the same time?
• Are there any appliances in the home or building that could emit carbon dioxide?
• Are all of the appliances working correctly?

Carbon monoxide is not called the silent killer for no reason. It is necessary to determine the source of carbon monoxide before you sustain serious injuries.

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Ways to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the home

Here are some tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Make sure your chimneys are in good condition and not blocked
• Make sure that your fuel burning appliances such as the water heater, gas range, ovens etc are inspected by a professional and are not defective
• Try not to idle the car in the garage because fumes can build up quickly in the garage and invade your home
• Never use a gas oven to heat your home
• Don’t use a charcoal grill indoors
• Never sleep in a room with an unvented gas space heater
• Don’t use gasoline powered engines such as lawnmowers, chain saws,generators in an enclosed area.
• Don’t ignore symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning especially if more than one person is feeling the symptoms

Taking steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is a good way to lower the chances of death or injury caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

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How to file a carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit

The first step in filing a carbon monoxide lawsuit is to contact a Florida personal injury attorney. Carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits can be based on a number of claims and legal theories such as negligence, strict liability, and products liability. Damages for can include pain and suffering, medical and hospital expenses, lost wages and in the cases of wrongful death or serious injury, punitive damages.

Levine & Glassman, P.A. – Florida Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyers

The attorneys at Levine & Glassman are prepared to handle your carbon monoxide poisoning case. Contact our firm at (954) 332-6100 or using out online contact form and one of our Florida premises liability attorneys will evaluate your potential carbon monoxide poisoning case, explain the process of filing such a claim, and answer any other questions you may have.