Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Posted by John Sedgewick - 12/01/10 at 05:01 pmGas appliances can be convenient, inexpensive, and easy to use, but they can also be dangerous. The news is full of stories about people who are killed or suffer brain injuries caused by carbon monoxide escaping from defective appliances and heating systems.
Sometimes the cause is an acute problem, such as physical damage to a vent, which fills a living space with poisonous carbon monoxide gas in a matter of hours.
In other cases, a small, chronic leak in the vent system causes injury from low-level exposure over weeks or months.
Because carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, leaks are likely to go undectected. For the same reasons, carbon monoxide is known as the “silent killer.” It is widely recognized that the risk of death and injury from carbon monoxide rises in the winter months, when heating systems are used more and when windows and doors may be sealed shut to keep out cold drafts.
Modern technology can help reduce the risk of tragedy from carbon monoxide poisoning. For $20.00 you can buy a battery operated carbon monoxide detector that is as easy to install as a smoke detector. More sophisticated detectors can be wired into the electrical system of any home or workplace. Regular service of gas appliances, including carefully checking of chimneys and vents, together with carbon monoxide detectors, are the best way to protect yourself and those you love from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. A recent story in the Denver Post highlights how the use of carbon monoxide detectors can avoid tragedy.
If you have a question about an injury caused by a defective product such as a gas heater or a gas appliance, contact a lawyer who is experienced with similar cases. The quality of the investigation done following such an injury may be critically important to the outcome of the case.
