The San Antonio, Texas, fire department recommends basic steps to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) in your home, including yearly appliance inspections and properly installing detectors. But if you’re an apartment tenant, you rely on other people to keep your house safe from this imperceptible gas. Any attorney who works with CO poisoning in South Central Texas helps clients who were blindsided by dangers they trusted others to prevent.
If your family experienced CO injuries while renting and believe the negligence of a landlord, property manager, maintenance person, etc., may have caused it, the San Antonio personal injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw can help show how someone else failed to address CO hazards. Your path to justice depends on the cause and local laws, and our guide below explains the basics behind CO cases involving San Antonio apartments. Contact our law firm today for a free case review.
What Causes CO Accumulation in Apartments?It’s normal for fuel-burning appliances to produce CO, but the main reason gas levels rise to dangerous levels is improper ventilation. This could be the result of poor installation, faulty design, or simply using outdoor equipment in an enclosed indoor space.
A lawyer may not be able to help if your misuse of an appliance was the primary reason for the poisoning. However, most CO cases aren’t straightforward and can involve shared fault.
What to Watch ForEarly stages appear like the flu, but advanced CO poisoning symptoms include confusion, blurred vision, and loss of muscle control. Your attorney can also link nervous system issues that appear after initial recovery, like memory loss, to harm from CO.
Because the gas replaces oxygen in the blood, you or a loved one might have lasting brain damage or heart problems, sometimes resulting in death.
Primary Risk FactorsFinally, there are three family members most at risk of severe injury:
These vulnerable individuals may not have independent Bexar County tenant rights, but they deserve legal protections through your advocacy.
Who’s Responsible When Your Family Suffers CO Poisoning?Most CO poisoning cases are based on proving that your landlord was negligent. Although Texas lacks statewide laws for CO safety, San Antonio apartment carbon monoxide laws require property owners to follow international fire safety codes. In general, a property owner is likely liable if they do the following:
In Texas, more than one party can also share responsibility and be asked to compensate for their share of harm. Therefore, a lawyer is essential for determining everyone’s legal role.
For instance, let’s say you delayed reporting an issue, but your property manager also delayed responding to it. Although you might believe you have no case because you played a significant role, suing an apartment manager could still result in partial compensation.
When Other Parties Are ResponsibleLess commonly, property owners and managers can’t be held legally responsible—but this doesn’t mean all hope is lost for your case. Although landlord liability for CO poisoning is less likely for issues outside their control, here are some parties who might be accountable for those issues:
At Carabin Shaw, we pride ourselves on building cases thoroughly and seeing consistent results. Our expertise doesn’t come without care, either: we make your legal battles easier to bear every step of the way. For example, that’s why we offer services on a contingency-fee basis in both Spanish and English.
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Starting with a free case review is the simplest way to learn how we can help your family recover after CO poisoning. Without adding upfront costs, we still add value. If you have any remaining doubts, look no further than our law firm’s client reviews, which highlight our strength, professionalism, responsiveness, and kindness.
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