There are various toxic emissions that are released into the air around us, but often, we are not as affected by them because they are in the open atmosphere and not a small enclosure. When high concentrations of carbon monoxide are located in a room or a home, the chances of severe damages increase, often in the form of carbon monoxide poisoning. Handling carbon monoxide poisoning can be extremely difficult if you are a victim. There is a possibility that the injuries you suffer could be debilitating and prevent you from effectively pursuing treatment or even legal action. It is important that you seek out legal assistance if you want to pursue a lawsuit against the responsible individual or party. An experienced CO2 lawyer can ensure that your claim is swiftly handled. Our carbon monoxide exposure law firm, Normandie Law Firm, has a team of expert attorneys who can help you move forward with the claim and ensure that you are well within the statute of limitations when you file your lawsuit.
Physical Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Sometimes, victims of carbon monoxide poisoning may not even be aware that they are suffering from the illness. Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas that is toxic when breathed in. Upon inhalation, the gas attacks red blood cells and deprives them of oxygen, essentially killing them off. This leads to a lack of oxygen being circulated in the body and not enough nutrients and oxygen reaching the organs. The damages from this lack of oxygen can be very severe and cause permanent injuries.
If you feel any of these symptoms, you should go to a doctor immediately and recommend a test to determine your oxygen levels. Some doctors may misinterpret some of these symptoms as indicative of the flu, and if they send you home, you may become even iller due to emissions present in your apartment.
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
Carbon monoxide poisoning can come on quickly, and if it does, you should be prepared to seek professional medical assistance. Some of the results of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Sleep trouble
- Persistent headaches
- Lung issues
- Heart problems
- Cognitive trouble
- Brain damage
- Death
The potential injuries are too severe for you to ignore. If you do not seek medical attention, the damages could be long lasting or permanent. Upon going to a doctor, you will be treated by having pure oxygen inserted into your body by way of a breathing tube or getting placed in an oxygen chamber. A lawyer with experience in carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuits can help you select the proper healthcare professional. You may have a limited time of filing a claim and getting help.
Pinpointing the Cause of the Illness
It may be difficult to determine what caused your carbon monoxide poisoning. Emissions can be caused due to forest fires and marshes, smoking cigarettes and cigars, car and truck exhausts, train and bus fumes, factories burning waste, improperly ventilated household appliances, defective heating systems, and faulty products and items.
Carbon monoxide occurs when combustion is incomplete or inadequate and carbon is released into the air. This happens when a fuel source is not totally burned; fuel sources include kerosene, propane, oil, gasoline, wood, charcoal, and more. To figure out if your carbon monoxide poisoning is due to a specific item, you need to see if it uses fuel of some kind.
More often than not, the causes of carbon monoxide emissions that are present in the open air and dissipate quickly are not to be blamed for illnesses. These fumes are not highly concentrated enough to cause severe poisoning. Further, even if car exhaust and forest fires were among the primary reasons for your illness, you would likely not have any specific party to file a lawsuit against. On the other hand, if there were emissions present in your home that came from faulty heating systems and household appliances, you may have grounds to sue your landlord or the property owner. A CO2 exposure poisoning injury lawyer could help you file a carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit on time.
Legal Duty
Your landlord has a responsibility to provide you with a safe living environment when you rent an apartment from him. He must have checked all appliances in the house to ensure that they are free from carbon monoxide emissions; these appliances include stoves, refrigerators, grills, and more. Further, any heating systems must be thoroughly inspected as well to determine if there are emissions. The heating systems could be faulty; they include furnaces, water heaters, space heaters, fireplaces, and others. If your landlord does not provide you with a safe place to live, you could sue.
Further, your landlord has to provide you with a working and functional carbon monoxide detector in your apartment, as per the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010. If your landlord does not outfit any home intended for human occupation with a detector, he could be in heaps of legal trouble, and in the event of any accidents related to carbon monoxide poisoning, could be held completely responsible for the damages.
It is important to be aware, however, that there are some ways your landlord cannot be held liable. Although he must inspect all appliances and heating systems prior to you moving in, once you have already taken up residence within the apartment, you are responsible for everything else. If you tampered or tinkered with an appliance and carbon monoxide emissions resulted, you would not be able to sue anyone for negligence.
This same idea is true of property owners who allow customers into their stores and businesses. They must not have a potentially dangerous place available for the public to visit, and if they do, they must give ample warning and place hazard signs and notices in visible spots.
If a company sells you a product that is deemed to be faulty, you could sue the business for any damages coming from carbon monoxide poisoning. A lawn mower or snow blower, for example, that has a leak or is not properly ventilated can cause high levels of carbon monoxide in a garage or basement. The result could be devastating if left unchecked.
Talk to a lawyer for carbon monoxide poisoning to see who you can sue and ensure that you are within the statute of limitations for filing a carbon monoxide exposure case.
Statute of Limitations for Filing a Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuit
It is important to understand the deadline for filing a claim against the responsible party for your carbon monoxide poisoning. All personal injury cases have a two-year limit during which you can take legal action. If you do not pursue a claim during that period, you will be ineligible to do so afterward. It is important that you speak with an attorney experienced in CO2 exposure lawsuits to ensure that you are on time by filing a claim.
Of course, the statute of limitations is not set in stone. There are methods that can be used to temporarily toll it, or suspend it. These exceptions come about in various cases. For example, if you were a minor at the time of your injury, you would not have to adhere to the statute of limitations until your eighteenth birthday. If you were physically or mentally unable to file a lawsuit because of your injuries or some other kind of issue, you would also be able to receive a temporary tolling. Additionally, if the defendant left town for a certain amount of time and came back, the statute would not begin until he returned to the state.
Compensation
With the help of one of our lawyers with expertise in CO2 poisoning, you could receive various types of coverage for your carbon monoxide poisoning. You could have your medical bills taken care of, as well as your lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering damages. You may also wish to file a carbon monoxide wrongful death lawsuit. With this, your loved one’s expenses could be covered, including funeral costs, pre-death medical bills and emotional damages, loss of consortium and expected inheritance, and more. The statute of limitations for filing a carbon monoxide wrongful death lawsuit is the same as a regular civil claim – two years.
Normandie: The Right Firm to Help You
Our team of expert lawyers at Normandie Law Firm is here to help all victims of carbon monoxide poisoning make it through their cases. We are willing to do all of the legwork for you. We will ensure that your case is handled swiftly and that all of your evidence is handed in on time. We will closely follow the deadlines and never stray outside of the statute of limitations. Our aggressive lawyers will go all the way to court if necessary to bring you a settlement you can be proud of.
Call us today to schedule a free legal consultation with one of our accomplished lawyers. We will discuss your case and tell you what we believe we can earn for you. We will also give you a zero fee guarantee if you choose us to represent you – you will not have to pay any expenses unless we win your case, and the money will be taken from the settlement we earn for you. If we lose, you owe us no fees at all.
Contact a qualified lawyer at Normandie Law Firm for more assistance with your carbon monoxide poisoning lawsuit.
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