Gas Appliances Without Proper Vents in San Antonio: Hidden Dangers in Texas Homes

Proper ventilation is one of the most critical components of gas appliance safety, yet it is often overlooked. The only reliable way to remove dangerous gases like carbon monoxide from a home is to vent them safely outdoors. When vents are damaged, improperly installed, or directed into enclosed areas such as attics or crawl spaces, toxic gases can accumulate, posing serious health risks. If you or a loved one has been harmed or killed due to CO exposure caused by improper venting in San Antonio, Texas, you may have grounds to pursue a lawsuit.

The best way to determine whether you are entitled to compensation after carbon monoxide poisoning is to speak with an experienced local attorney. The expert San Antonio attorneys at Carabin Shaw offer a free consultation to all victims to help you understand your legal rights and options. Call our toll-free number at 1-800-862-1260 to schedule your appointment today. Our English- and Spanish-speaking staff are available 24/7, and we handle cases on a contingency-fee basis—meaning you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we win your case.

Your gas stove may have a hood installed above it, but many hoods use recirculating fans rather than ductwork plumbed to the outside. A gas furnace might have improper ventilation into the attic or other enclosed space. Even if your San Antonio, Texas HVAC system is properly vented, wear and tear can cause holes that leak CO into the home. All of these are examples of preventable conditions that lead to CO poisoning.

A gas leak lawsuit in Texas may stem from any of the previously listed circumstances, but it may also stem from a lack of CO detectors or nonworking CO detectors. In San Antonio, local fire codes require CO detectors to be installed in new buildings and in certain existing buildings that contain fuel-burning appliances. A lawyer may use building and fire codes to establish negligence.

The legal justification for a lawsuit is based on liability, which typically means someone was negligent. For example, you might have grounds for a negligent landlord gas vent lawsuit if a landlord decided to redirect venting into an attic space. This may constitute negligence because the landlord has a legal duty to remedy any condition that affects a tenant's physical health.

Negligence has four components:

• Duty
• Breach of duty
• Causation
• Damages

When a landlord’s breach of duty causes a tenant harm, that tenant may hire an attorney and sue for damages. Negligence may describe the actions of property owners, HVAC installers, and anyone else who failed to act in a reasonable manner and caused a harmful CO leak. Once a lawyer concludes that there was negligence, you can determine if you have grounds for a lawsuit.

Proving your damages and how much they’re worth is an essential task for your carbon monoxide poisoning attorney in San Antonio. You’ll need to compute economic and noneconomic damages to get fair compensation that covers all your true losses. These include:

• Medical bills
• Loss of income
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Wrongful death damages

Carbon monoxide gas can cause short- and long-term injuries. Your San Antonio personal injury lawyer should be familiar with the effects of CO exposure to help you calculate the cost of your injuries. When a CO leak causes wrongful death, a lawyer will calculate the damages suffered by the deceased's family members.

Contacting an attorney helps victims of CO poisoning hold gas appliance installers, maintenance companies, landlords, and property owners responsible for their negligence.

At Carabin Shaw, our law firm’s client reviews tell the tales of our successful personal injury claims and how we’ve helped our clients to get fair compensation for their losses.

Call Carabin Shaw to find out more about your legal rights after a CO poisoning caused by improper venting in Central Texas. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.

For more information:

• San Antonio Fire Code Amendments 2024 IFC
• PROPERTY CODE CHAPTER 92