In a Brockton, MA carbon monoxide poisoning incident, three adults and two kids were treated at a local hospital when they fell ill after trying to heat an apartment using a gas stove. In an unrelated Boston carbon monoxide poisoning accident, a 14-year-old boy died after he warmed himself up in a running car while his dad shoveled snow. Snow had fallen on the exhaust pipe, which kept the CO fumes from leaving the car.
Following the tragic Massachusetts CO poisoning death, Boston mayor Thomas Menino put out a warning about the dangers related to the large Northeast blizzard., which left behind up to three feet of snow over the weekend. Menino cautioned for people to make sure that the snow around exhaust pipes is wiped off before starting their engines. He also warned against using generators.
CO Poisoning
As our Boston personal injury lawyers have written about before, incidents of CO poisoning tend to go up in the winter months, when Americans are more inclined to use furnaces, fireplaces, gas cooking stoves, water heaters, space heaters and other appliances that let out carbon monoxide. A swift killer, this invisible, odorless gas can overwhelm a victim without warning. It doesn’t help that its symptoms-fatigue, shortness of breath, flue, headache, and nausea could be so signs of so many other, less serious health issues.
Incidents of CO deaths are not as rare as one would hope. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 2007 and 2009, about 169 accidental (non-fire) CO poisoning fatalities occurred every year. Heating systems were involved in 1/3rd of the deaths. Over 40% involved the use of generators.
Depending on what caused your CO injuries or a loved one’s death and/or where the accident happened, you could have grounds for a Boston injury lawsuit against a negligent product manufacturer or property owner.
Mass. boy gets in car for heat, dies of carbon monoxide poisoning, Los Angeles Times, February 9, 2013
Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths/2009 Annual Estimates, Consumer Product Safety Commission (PDF)
Five hospitalized in Brockton for carbon monoxide poisoning, Enterprise News, February 11, 2013
More Blog Posts:
Nantucket Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Incident Sends 11 Apartment Residents to the Hospital, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 16, 2011
Boston Carbon Monoxide Exposure in Mattapan Homes Sickens Seven, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 6, 2012
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Sends Boston Mother and Kids to Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 23, 2012