Each year 50,000 people in the United States visit emergency departments for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning carbon-based fuel. Sources of carbon monoxide include gasoline engines in motor vehicles, small engines and boats; carbon-fueled appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and boilers, and charcoal and propane heating and cooking sources.
Carbon monoxide is deadly. It cannot be seen. It does not have a smell. Poisoning can happen anywhere but it is more dangerous at higher elevations, where there is less oxygen. Poisoning can occur from brief exposures to high levels of carbon monoxide, or from longer exposures to lower levels.
Common symptoms of carbon monoxide include headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, general malaise, and altered mental status. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause death or serious, life-altering injuries. Victims who survive the poisoning may suffer from neurological problems, including cognitive issues, anxiety and depression, persistent headaches, dizziness, vision changes, balance problems, sleep problems, hearing loss and changes, decreased lung function and Parkinsonian-like syndrome. Unfortunately, the general medical community often misdiagnose symptoms caused by carbon monoxide poisoning because they are not well-versed in the effects of carbon monoxide.
Hyperbaric oxygen hastens the elimination of carbon monoxide in the blood and reduces the inflammatory processes instigated by carbon monoxide poisoning. Unfortunately many states, including New Mexico, have very few if any hyperbaric chambers to treat victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. The attorneys at McGraw Law, LLC can help find you the medical care you need to treat the symptoms associated with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be prevented by ensuring carbon monoxide-producing appliances and fireplaces are adequately and regularly maintained, and located in well ventilated areas. It is also vitally important to adequately install carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors are an inexpensive safety device that can prevent the needless of loss of life.
Attorney Mollie McGraw has successfully litigated carbon monoxide cases on behalf of individuals, including children, who have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning because businesses and property owners negligently and recklessly failed to do adequate maintenance on carbon-producing appliances and chose not to install inexpensive carbon monoxide detectors.
Kweller v. Spruce Cabins, LLC, Amigo Realty, LLC, D-101-CV-2016-02484
Attorney Mollie McGraw represented a family who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning on Christmas day in a rented cabin in the mountains of Southern New Mexico. Plaintiffs alleged that the cabin’s fireplace was not sufficiently maintained or cleaned. There was no carbon monoxide detector to alert the family to the poisonous gas that filled the cabin while they slept. Attorney Mollie McGraw obtained a settlement for her clients after two years of litigation.
The attorneys at McGraw Law, LLC, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, are able to help if you’ve suffered carbon monoxide poisoning through the fault or negligence of a third party. Call us at 575-523-4321 for a free phone consultation or contact us online.
