Improper installation or manufacturing defects in heating appliances have caused carbon monoxide poisoning in many New York residents. When this happens, the owner of the property or the business or person who installed, repaired or serviced the appliance might be held responsible in a premises liability lawsuit. Typical causes of this deadly condition involve leaks in gas-burning water heaters and other heating appliances.
The presence of carbon monoxide in a rented residence or a hotel room often goes unnoticed until it is too late because it is odorless and colorless. To successfully present such a lawsuit, the plaintiff must identify the source and pathway of the carbon monoxide from the source to the victim. The force that drove the poisonous gas along that path must be defined, and the exposure of the victim will also be considered.
Although everybody who inhales carbon monoxide is at risk, children are more vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning because their respiration rates are faster than that of adults. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause severe health consequences and even death. Excessive presence of carbon monoxide in the blood can also cause brain damage.
Anyone who became a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning while visiting a hotel or living in a rental property might have the grounds to pursue a premises liability lawsuit. In the event of a death caused by such poisoning, the surviving family members can file a claim on behalf of the estate. This is a complicated field of the law, but help is available from an experienced New York personal injury lawyer.
