CO Detectors in Austin TX: Can You Pursue a Claim if Your Home Didn’t Have an Alarm?

If you rent your home in Austin, you are not alone. Nearly half of Austin residents are renters living in single-family homes, condos, and townhouses. When you sign a lease in Austin, you expect your landlord to provide a safe place for you and your family. Tragically, not all landlords follow city and state rules, particularly when it comes to features like carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

Carbon monoxide detectors are critical tools for alerting residents to the presence of CO, which can be deadly when inhaled. The Austin carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers at Carabin Shaw have worked with many injured people who were unknowingly exposed to CO levels in their homes when the residence did not have the required CO detectors. Some do not survive their exposure, leaving surviving family members alone and grieving.

If you or someone you love is a victim of CO poisoning, our compassionate attorneys can help determine if you qualify for legal compensation. We offer our services on a contingency-fee basis and free case reviews, so you can explore your legal options without paying any money up front. Our team of English- and Spanish-speaking professionals is available to you 24/7 at 1-800-862-1260.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas produced by fuel-burning appliances and cars. Nearly all rental units and homes in Austin have at least one appliance that may emit CO if it malfunctions. Levels of the gas can rise in enclosed spaces quickly, and people often don’t realize they are exposed until it’s too late.

CO detectors alert residents to the presence of carbon monoxide before levels become dangerous. The Austin building code requires all dwelling units to have CO detectors installed outside each separate sleeping area or inside rooms with fuel-burning appliances. Alarms must receive electrical power with a battery backup, and should be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure they are operational.

In addition to installing CO detectors in the residence, landlords also have a duty to maintain heating systems and other appliances to prevent dangerous CO emissions. If a landlord fails in their duty by failing to maintain appliances and install CO detectors, injured residents and their attorneys may hold the landlord or property owner liable for injuries and related losses.

Our lawyers at Carabin Shaw help victims of CO poisoning understand their rights and hold those responsible for their injuries accountable. We investigate accidents by reviewing maintenance records, previous tenant complaints, and repair requests to determine whether a landlord’s breach of their duty of care led to our client’s injuries. Our law firm’s client reviews attest to our commitment to pursue all the compensation accident victims deserve.

When a landlord directly violates state or city laws, and their actions result in injury to their tenant, the landlord may be held liable under negligence per se. Negligence per se states the landlord breached their duty of care to the injured tenant by violating the law.

In most cases, proving negligence requires an accident victim to demonstrate these elements:

• The landlord owed the tenant a duty of care to provide safe premises
• The landlord breached their duty of care by their actions or inactions
• The breach led directly to the tenant’s injuries and related losses
• If the breach hadn’t occurred, the tenant would not have been injured

If a landlord violates a law they were required to follow to keep their tenants safe, negligence per se may apply. For example, if a landlord fails to install CO detectors when the building codes and law clearly require them, your carbon monoxide injury lawyer in Austin may establish negligence per se in your case.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to a variety of serious injuries, including heart damage, permanent brain damage, movement disorders, and death. If you suffer any of these injuries or lose a loved one to carbon monoxide poisoning, call the experienced lawyers at Carabin Shaw today. We are available toll-free now at 1-800-862-1260.

For more information:

• Common Austin Code Violations | AustinTexas.gov
• Texas Constitution and Statutes 766
• Negligence per se | Legal Information Institute