On Thursday, March 8, 2018, an apartment building in Koreatown was the center of the latest carbon monoxide incident in Los Angeles. The 48-unit apartment building located at 920 S. Hobart Boulevard was evacuated in the early evening hours after reports claimed that three people were experiencing concerning symptoms and one person had been found dead.
Resident accounts relay that there were often alarms going off. One resident reported that alarms could always be heard throughout the building. Another resident reported that her carbon monoxide alarm sounded off many times in previous weeks.
The hazmat experts who arrived at the apartment building used sophisticated equipment to evaluate the presence of carbon monoxide throughout the building. The hazmat experts confirmed that carbon monoxide was present in the apartment building in which three people were ill and one person died. The symptoms and the death have not been confirmed to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Unfortunately, instances of carbon monoxide are common in apartment buildings—specifically, old buildings. The Koreatown apartment building was built in 1928; therefore, experts continue to survey the building.
Were you affected by carbon monoxide poisoning? Did your loved one lose his or her life because of carbon monoxide poisoning? If you or a loved one was affected by exposure to carbon dioxide, you must seek legal assistance as soon as possible. You have rights—and you must fight for your rights after being affected by carbon monoxide. You must contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible to take action against the negligent apartment building owner and management team.
In the following sections, you will find information that should help you get a better understanding of your rights after being affected by carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the sections below should not be your primary source of information regarding your claim. You must contact our law firm and request to speak with our attorneys as soon as possible. Only our experienced carbon monoxide poisoning attorneys have the expertise required to handle your claim successfully; do not hesitate to contact our firm.
Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that can severely affect anyone after prolonged exposure. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless; it is often referred to as a silent killer. Anywhere where there is a car, engine, stove, furnace, or fireplace, for example, carbon monoxide is present. Although carbon monoxide can be found anywhere, it might not produce negative effects if there is proper ventilation preventing the carbon monoxide from building up. With a lack of ventilation, however, carbon monoxide can build up and result in carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when victims are exposed to high levels of the deadly gas. Symptoms include the following:
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Weakness
Would you be concerned about your health if you presented any of the symptoms mentioned above? If you are like most people, you would not be concerned about your wellbeing if you experienced the symptoms above—with the exception of loss of consciousness. Although many people might not be alarmed by the symptoms, continuous exposure to the gas can lead to their death. Those who do not present symptoms—people who are asleep, for example—have a higher risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide occurs naturally in some places; however, carbon monoxide often occurs because of the negligence of liable parties. In the following section, you will find information about liability in carbon monoxide poisoning incidents.
Carbon Monoxide Liability
Who was at fault for the carbon monoxide poisoning you suffered? To understand liability for carbon monoxide poisoning, we must first discuss prevention methods. Below, there are a few tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Ensure that there are vents in the home for all gas appliances.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector and alarm in your home.
- Routinely deep clean chimneys.
- Service all heating systems professionally every year.
Above, there are just four examples of carbon monoxide poisoning prevention tips. What do you notice in these tips? The tips require homeowners to make changes in their homes. If you live on your own property, you have the freedom to alter and repair your home as you wish. However, residents of apartment buildings—like the one discussed in Koreatown—do not have the right to make any alterations to their rented apartment.
If you live in an apartment building, your landlord is likely liable for all repairs necessary to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Your landlord is responsible for maintenance and repairs throughout the apartment building to avoid high levels of carbon monoxide. If your landlord fails to make repairs in the shared laundry room, for example, a carbon monoxide leak might result in serious effects to all residents. If your landlord makes repairs in the shared laundry room but does so negligently, carbon monoxide might also affect residents. In both instances, the landlord would be liable for the injuries or deaths caused by his or her negligence.
In some states, one of which is California, landlords are required to install multiple carbon monoxide detectors in all apartments. Landlords are also responsible for testing and repairing the carbon monoxide detectors routinely. If a landlord was informed about a carbon monoxide detector that was not working and he or she failed to repair and test the detector, he or she will likely be liable if a resident suffers carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you or a loved one were affected by exposure to carbon monoxide, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit against the negligent landlord. For more information about liability in carbon monoxide poisoning, you must immediately contact our law firm and speak with our attorneys. Our attorneys will help you take legal action as soon as possible.
Types of Claims
What type of claim might you bring forth? If your carbon monoxide poisoning was a result of the negligence of your landlord, you might be eligible to file a negligence claim. If the carbon monoxide poisoning resulted in the death of your loved one, you might have grounds to file a wrongful death claim. For more information on the types of claims that you might be able to file, you must immediately speak with our attorneys. Our attorneys will evaluate your claim and guide you towards taking legal action against the liable party.
Compensation Available for Your Claim
Can you receive compensation if you file a claim after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning? The short answer is yes. However, the type and amount of compensation you receive depends on the details of your claim. Because of that, it is essential to speak with our attorneys as soon as possible—our experienced attorneys will evaluate your claim and explain how the details of your claim affect the compensation you might receive and, ultimately, the value of your case. Below, you will find some of the compensation available for carbon monoxide poisoning claims:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
As you can see there are many categories of compensation available for recovery. The categories and amounts that you are eligible to recover depend on the details of your claim. When you contact our law firm, you can be certain that our attorneys will fight until you recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your claim. Our attorneys have helped many victims of carbon monoxide poisoning recover the compensation to which they are entitled. We have also guided surviving family members towards recovering compensation for their wrongful death claims. For more information about compensation, you should speak with our attorneys as soon as possible.
How Can We Help?
If you were affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, you might be interested in taking legal action against the liable party. Do you need to hire an attorney? No, you do not need to hire an attorney; in fact, many people represent themselves when they file a claim. However, filing a claim can cause tremendous amounts of stress. Unfortunately, many people who choose to represent themselves encounter many obstacles that lead to the failure of their claims. Because of that, hiring an attorney is always recommended. When you hire an attorney, you hire someone to guide you through the legal process. Our attorneys will always give you the most relevant information to ensure that you have a successful claim. When you contact our law firm, you can be certain that one of our most experienced attorneys will help you file your claim.
Our law firm believes that all victims of carbon monoxide poisoning should have access to legal assistance. Unfortunately, many people do not seek legal assistance because they are unaware of their rights. For many years, our law firm has provided the victims of carbon monoxide poisoning with legal guidance and has helped victims recover compensation. If you were affected by exposure to carbon monoxide in your apartment building, you can contact our firm without ever worrying about paying any fees. Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our attorneys are available to give you all the information you need to ensure a successful lawsuit. Our lawyers will give you all the time you need—you will never feel rushed or feel like anything other than a priority. If an incompetent lawyer left you with doubts and confusion, our attorneys will help get your claim back on the right track. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm; our experienced carbon monoxide attorneys will fight for your right to compensation.
Are you surprised that our law firm offers free legal services? Our free consultations and free second opinions are available through a Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront fees for any of our legal services. You can contact our firm and speak with our experienced attorneys at no charge. Our law firm is also strictly based on contingency; therefore, clients are not required to pay legal fees until after they win their claims. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay. Contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible to speak with our carbon monoxide attorneys.
