Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Who’s Liable?

Everyone who knows about carbon monoxide knows that it is quite dangerous, especially in an enclosed location. For those who don’t know, carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless gas that is typically the byproduct of fuel burned in our vehicles and heating sources. This gas, when inhaled, can be poisonous to the body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 400 people die each year in the United States from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. More than 20,000 emergency room visits related to CO poisoning occur each year too.

If you are suffering negative effects to your health because of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries because of New Jersey’s premises liability and product liability laws.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, it is not always evident when it becomes a problem in a home or building. If you have a minor CO problem on your hands, you may feel sick when you spend time at home. As soon as you go outside and breathe in the fresh air, you’ll begin to feel better. If it keeps re-occurring, you should have your home checked for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Feeling sick is just the tipping point when it comes to the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If your home is filled with this poisonous gas, you may also suffer from:

• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Seizure
• Loss of consciousness

Carbon monoxide, if not taken care of, can be fatal within a short amount of time. That’s why it is imperative to get your home checked by a professional if you believe the gas to be present.

Recovering Compensation

If your health becomes ill because of carbon monoxide, you will first need to identify the source of the CO poisoning. Once the poisonous gas has been tracked to a product or source, you must figure out whether it had a defect to cause the gas to fill up in your home.

Let’s say a furnace in your basement was the cause of a carbon monoxide leak in your home. It would be the responsibility of the product manufacturer to owe a duty of care to the consumer. Here’s another example. You are staying at a hotel and the same problem with the furnace occurred. Not only would it be the product manager’s responsibility, but it would also be the hotel’s responsibility. This would clearly be an issue under premises liability law in New Jersey.

Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone Today

Did unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning harm your health? You deserve compensation and justice. At the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we can deliver both. Contact our Jersey City law firm today for a free consultation.

CALL NOW: 201-829-3829