Lake Charles Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Hurricane season can be difficult in Southwest Louisiana—the fear, uncertainty, and property damage are regular occurrences well known to local residents. But each hurricane season brings another less well-known danger: carbon monoxide poisoning. Recently, Louisiana’s department of health announced that four people in the state were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in “hurricane-related deaths.”

Hurricane victims are at higher risk for carbon monoxide poisoning due to power outages that necessitates the use of other power sources, including gasoline generators—which produce carbon monoxide. If you suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in Lake Charles or lost a loved one to a CO poisoning death, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

To learn more about when to contact a Louisiana personal injury lawyer or to discover how our Lake Charles carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers can help, read on.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is the product of incomplete combustion. It may be emitted by any fuel-burning appliance, and is contained in the exhaust fumes of generators. Carbon monoxide is extremely poisonous to human beings; when it is inhaled, it replaces the oxygen in the body and in high enough levels, will cause unconsciousness followed by death. For this reason, using a generator indoors—or using an improperly installed generator—can kill you in minutes.

• When using a generator to power homes after a storm, it is crucial to keep the generator at least twenty feet away from the home’s exterior, and to direct the exhaust fumes away from all windows, doors, and vents.
• Generators should never be used inside homes or garages—even if all doors and windows are kept open.
• And finally, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed as a final line of defense against carbon monoxide poisoning.

The party or parties who may be legally responsible for your injuries will depend entirely on the circumstances surrounding your carbon monoxide accident. However, if the accident occurred on another person’s property, you may have grounds for a premises liability claim against the property owner.

As of 2011, Louisiana law requires that carbon monoxide detectors must be installed in all newly-constructed one- or two-story family dwellings and in townhomes no more than three stories tall.

Additionally, the State Fire Marshal of Louisiana has the authority to require owners of hotels to install CO alarms if a carbon monoxide source poses a potential threat. If your accident occurred in such a residence without a carbon monoxide detector—or with a malfunctioning carbon monoxide detector—you may be able to hold the landlord responsible for their failure to abide by state law.

If you have been injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning, or have lost a loved one to a carbon monoxide poisoning accident, you need to enlist the services of a qualified Louisiana personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. The right attorney can help you get justice and compensation for your emotional and financial damages that you incurred as a result of your carbon monoxide poisoning injury or wrongful death claim.

Here at Carabin Shaw, our attorneys have 200 years of combined legal experience, and Attorney of Counsel Berit Hanna at Carabin Shaw is our resident expert on Louisiana carbon monoxide claims. And your initial consultation with a Lake Charles carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer is free, so you have nothing to lose by calling to speak to us today.

To receive your free consultation with an experienced, compassionate lawyer at Carabin Shaw, call our team serving Lake Charles at 800-862-1260.