Generator Exhaust Venting & Liability in Texas | San Antonio CO Poisoning Attorneys

For residents of San Antonio, Texas, storms and extreme heat increasingly drive generator usage, especially when power outages happen. In fact, the city’s hottest year on record was 2024, and the extreme freeze of 2021 is barely distant enough to be a memory. As these outliers become the norm, it’s important to understand how generators used in emergencies pose a threat of carbon monoxide (CO), a silent, fast-acting gas.

If you’ve experienced CO poisoning in South Texas, the San Antonio attorneys at Carabin Shaw can show how your case involves preventable mistakes. For instance, generators are safe to use with proper exhaust venting, and someone else could be responsible for neglecting this protection. When their negligence harms you or your loved ones, one of our skilled lawyers can help you pursue accountability under Texas law.

About 70 people die every year because of improper portable generator usage. Most notably, generator exhaust carbon monoxide can be life-threatening when it’s contained within an enclosed space, like a garage, or placed too close to a structure that lacks ventilation.

Unfortunately, you may have been aware of the safety guidelines and still suffered injuries. But who’s to blame? Your attorney explores all possible liable parties, which could include:

• Neighbors in dense multi-unit housing, if their generators vented CO into your space
• Landlords or property owners who neglected CO detectors, ignored known risks, or allowed unsafe generator operation
• The manufacturer whose product was faulty
• Event organizers who promoted unsafe generator placement
• Employers responsible for poor monitoring on job sites

Not all carbon monoxide poisoning in Texas will result in lawsuits. For instance, your employer’s workers’ compensation might cover on-the-job CO injuries. However, when a legal claim does apply, it’s generally based on premises hazards, product defects, or extreme neglect.

Your CO poisoning lawyer in San Antonio TX understands the regulations and standards at every level, from local to federal, that matter. Someone’s failure to follow safety guidelines, such as CDC recommendations, helps strengthen your claim.

Much like the gas itself, CO poisoning symptoms can progress invisibly, appearing later with major consequences. Your attorney will be sure that your claim covers injuries like brain damage, respiratory distress, and long-term neurological effects.

As a result, your damages should be thoroughly calculated and might include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering

Texas also has two main legal options for you if your loved one passes away from CO poisoning injuries:

1. Survival of cause of action: An executor can receive compensation from a personal injury claim that continues after an injured person dies.
2. Wrongful death: Distinct from a personal injury claim, wrongful death allows a surviving spouse, child, or parent to receive financial compensation for losses related to the death.

At Carabin Shaw, our law firm’s client reviews give you insight into how hard we fight for every possible avenue of compensation, all while treating you with care during an immensely difficult time.

With CO cases, evidence fades quickly. Portable generators can be moved, exhaust clears, and CO levels decrease, leaving your symptoms unexplained. Your San Antonio CO case will benefit from the expertise of a lawyer who knows how to gather relevant evidence, from requesting building designs to hiring inspectors. Once your team has the pieces, it can coordinate them into one airtight argument.

Injuries and deaths deserve accountability. You can start by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-862-1260, where Carabin Shaw staff members are available 24/7 to support you in English or Spanish. Our fee structure is also completely transparent because we offer our services on a contingency-fee basis.

Don’t let your suffering go unspoken. Call today to discuss your CO case with local legal experts.

For more information:

• Portable generators kill about 70 people each year. Here’s how to protect yourself and your loved ones
• CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE CHAPTER 71