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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyer
It seems every year when the cold weather strikes, we hear about another tragedy involving an individual or family who was killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning when their furnace malfunctioned or was improperly vented.
Thankfully, many necessary preventative measures can be employed to drastically reduce this deadly situation from occurring or identify danger at its onset (carbon monoxide detectors).
A basic understanding of gas dangers is vital to protect people from harm to keep families safe.
The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC law firm appreciate the hazards associated with carbon monoxide poisoning that people face every day. Our Cook County personal injury attorneys work hard to investigate all carbon monoxide poisoning cases to ensure all parties are held responsible for their role in an incident.
Our group of carbon monoxide poisoning attorneys has years of experience handling toxic injury cases. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries or the wrongful death of a loved one.
A Body Exposed to Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is formed when a fossil fuel such as gasoline, oil, or charcoal is not entirely combusted during burning. When inhaled, the vapor combines with hemoglobin in the person’s blood, blocking their ability to carry needed oxygen to the body’s cells.
By inhaling large quantities of toxic fumes, the body begins to suffocate even though the person is still breathing in gas-filled air.
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Depending on the amount of carbon monoxide in the air, the symptoms can affect the body within minutes or be delayed for a few hours. Poisoning can happen with lower exposures over a more extended period or substantial exposure in a short amount of time. In a severe case, death can occur in as little as a few minutes.
The general symptoms, in the order of severity, are:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Brain Damage
- Convulsions / respiratory arrest
- Unconsciousness / Death
Exposure to carbon monoxide can produce adverse long-term effects. Often, delayed neurological disorders happen a few days or weeks after the exposure.
These delayed effects can include amnesia, short-term memory loss, dementia, and other neurological disorders. When a person dies due to carbon monoxide exposure at work or on the premises of another party, the family may contact an attorney and pursue help and a lawsuit from a wrongful death
Treatment for Carbon Monoxide Ingestion
The apparent first medical treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning is your removal from the toxic fumes or area of exposure. For slight exposure, leaving the area will alleviate the symptoms within a few hours.
However, for more severe exposure, oxygen is administered to hasten the depletion of accumulated gas in the body. Oxygen supplied through a ventilation mask can help remove carbon monoxide in the body in one-quarter the time it takes breathing healthy air.
Other medical treatments may be needed for damage done to the brain and other organs from oxygen deprivation.
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Build-Up In Homes And Apartments
Since carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, it cannot be easily detected. The best prevention for homes that use gas or oil-fired heaters requires installing detectors in the house’s rooms.
These devices are inexpensive and will give off an alarm if the levels become too high in the house.
Other prevention methods are:
- Never burn a charcoal grill inside an enclosed home or garage. Every year when the power goes out, people try to dangerously heat or cook using a grill in an enclosed space, creating a life-threatening environment,
- Never allow your car to idle within an enclosed area,
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm to save lives and avoid serious injuries, including a brain injury
- Always use the fan above gas-fired stoves when cooking,
- Know the dangers of using keyless ignition when parking in an enclosed area and not turning the engine off when leaving the vehicle,
- Though rare, carbon monoxide poisoning during pregnancy can lead to fetal mortality or fetal neurologic complications that could result in cerebral palsy,
- Always have chimneys, fuel heaters, and fireplaces inspected before winter use
Approximately 15,000 people are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the United States, and an average of 430 people die from CO exposure. Many of these cases involve toxic exposure or the failure of a business owner, property owner, or management company failing to maintain the furnace to ensure visitor and tenant safety.
The auto industry states that truck drivers and other motorists are at risk of a carbon monoxide leak from gas or diesel exhaust that could result in death or permanent brain injury. Do not let a family member become one of these statistics.
Help Filing a Wrongful Death Compensation Case
Surviving family members are often distraught after losing a loved one exposed to CO fumes. Our carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers have successfully resolved cases filed against property owners and management companies who failed to ensure every tenant's safety.
Many of our client's cases involved injury or death caused by defective heaters or equipment releasing toxic fumes into the air, leading to a loss of consciousness or shortness of breath.
Do you suspect that your injuries are the result of exposure to toxic chemicals? Call our carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers (888) 424-5757 today for a free consultation to discuss your case and hold the property owner financially accountable for their negligence.
Legal Ramifications Related To Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Homes, Mobile Homes & Apartments
Like most personal injury cases, a faulty heater lawsuit begins with determining who is responsible for the injuries or death. Numerous parties may be included in the carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit if the problem was defective, poorly maintained equipment or improperly installed furnaces that result in injury or death.
Potential defendants in a case may include:
- Furnace installation company
- Manufacturer
- Maintenance company
- Landlord or property owner
Contact the carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer if you suspect that a loved one was poisoned by carbon monoxide, suffered life-altering injuries, including brain damage, or died from inhaling the toxic fumes.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fatality FAQs
Our personal injury attorneys understand that families have unanswered questions on filing and resolving a carbon monoxide poisoning case. Our legal team has answered some of those questions below.
Contact a carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule an appointment with our carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers for additional answers. We are here to help.
Hiring a Chicago Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Injury Attorney
Were you poisoned by carbon monoxide? Did you lose a loved one from exposure to carbon monoxide gas that could have been prevented?
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC understands that the time following an incident presents the best opportunity for obtaining valuable evidence to determine who is to blame. Contact our Illinois premises liability law firm today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) to schedule a free case evaluation for legal advice.
Our personal injury lawyers are ready to battle for you and your loved ones for compensation for your medical bills, hospitalization costs, lost wages, pain, and suffering. The furnace or device is a crucial component in prosecuting these cases, meaning it is essential to have engineers examine the furnace as soon as feasible following an incident.
Every carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer in our law firm is on call and ready to help with a free case review. All discussions with our carbon monoxide poisoning law firm remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Our attorneys follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).
Click here for more information on receiving maximum compensation, our attorneys' practice areas, filing for Workers Compensation, nursing home wrongful death, and dealing with insurance companies.
Resources on carbon monoxide emissions and poisoning:
- Carbon Monoxide Death
- Carbon Monoxide Brain Damage
- Side Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Treatment
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuits / Corporate Responsibility
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning From Heaters