Asbestos poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning are hidden dangers that can seriously impact a person’s health if exposed to these gases. Sometimes called “the silent killer,” carbon monoxide poisoning can be lethal to a human. This colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas can leak out in faulty pipes in old buildings and homes, and can cause mental impairment, heart attacks, and even death.
If you or a loved one suffered inadvertent exposure to asbestos or carbon monoxide, and suffered severe health effects such as impaired mental ability as a result, then it is time to contact us to discuss legal options. There may be negligence involved by a building opener or landlord, if in a rented unit. If your house contains asbestos issues, and the previous owner sold the house knowing these issues, then you could pursue a lawsuit against the previous owner.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for legal help at (800) 794-0444. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
In America every year, accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning each takes the lives of some 430 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thousands more are hospitalized every year from exposure to carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is found in gaseous fumes that come from a variety of heat-producing devices. Examples include kerosene heaters, cars running in a garage, gas ranges, portable generators, and more. When these machines are on and running in enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide fumes can build up. Anyone exposed to the gas in these enclosed spaces can suffer palpitations, heart attacks, mental impairment, and even death from breathing in these fumes.
Negligence of Building Owners
Building owners are expected to maintain safe conditions for the people who inhabit their building. Some buildings are considered “sick buildings.” These are buildings that cause people who spend time in the buildings to feel ill and exhibit sick conditions.
These conditions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), include headaches, dry or irritated nose and throat, nausea, itchy skin, and more. Once the people leave the building, the symptoms vanish. That is a clear indication of some sort of molds, pollens, bacteria, toxic compounds, carbon monoxide, and other elements in the building impacting the health of the people inside.
Operating a sick building is considered negligence on the part of the owner or property manager. To avoid lawsuits, building operators need to invest in consistent maintenance of their heating systems, furnaces, water heaters, and more to ensure no carbon monoxide is leaking out. They should avoid burning any kind of fuel indoors, regularly cleaning flues and chimneys, and installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors throughout the building.
It falls on the building owner’s shoulders if there is a leak of asbestos or carbon monoxide on the premises. California state law around liability for premises requires building owners to maintain reasonably safe occupancy conditions for those people within the building.
Any kind of poisonous gas leaks, including carbon monoxide, asbestos, or other gas, could mentally impair someone who is close enough to the gas leak and becomes exposed to it. If you know of someone who suffered physical effects because of carbon monoxide exposure, have them connect with a Los Angeles impaired mental ability lawyer for an explanation of the legal rights the person might have in such a situation.
For a free legal consultation with a Impaired Mental Ability Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Asbestos Poisoning
Asbestos is another chemical gas that people can get exposed to at work or in their homes. Maybe a homeowner is re-doing the roof of the house, and old insulation has to get ripped out. If there are holes in the insulation packets, the asbestos fibers may get released into the air. A homeowner can accidentally breathe in asbestos fibers and become physically affected.
The National Cancer Institute notes that being exposed to asbestos can lead to a possible case of asbestosis or even mesothelioma. This cancer may appear many years later, however, as the symptoms for asbestos exposure may not show up for a number of years. However, there are cases noted where complications set in in a relatively short period of time after the initial exposure.
Any building or home that has asbestos dangers lurking inside should contact a team of professionals licensed to handle and remove asbestos. There are state regulations that mandate how asbestos is to be handled and disposed of properly.
Call for legal counsel from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today. A Los Angeles impaired mental ability lawyer will be dedicated to your case and seeking compensation for you.
Los Angeles Impaired Mental Ability Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Legal Recourse
If a loved one suffered from an untreated illness caused by asbestos in the home, there may be sufficient grounds for a legal pursuit of those at fault. If the previous owner of the home left the home filled with asbestos matter inside the walls, you may be able to sue for negligence. The implication for a lawsuit would be that the asbestos materials in the home caused the loved one to become sick.
The five key areas that a judge would consider for negligence in cases like this have to do with the following areas:
- Duty – Did the previous homeowner have a duty to let a new homeowner know of existing asbestos in the home?
- Breach – Did the previous homeowner breach some sort of duty in not letting the new homeowner of existing asbestos?
- Causation – This is the line of thinking to show that the incident would not have happened if the negligent party did not cause it. The person would not have suffered any physical effects from the asbestos exposure, but since the previous owner was negligent with the asbestos materials, they did.
- Damages – What were the damages caused to the plaintiff in such a case of negligence? Were there physical damages, financial damages, mental damages, and social damages?
These are the areas that an attorney who handles negligence cases can explore on your behalf. The attorney needs to show that a person suffered physically as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide or asbestos.
A home seller in California is required by law to fill out a disclosure form acknowledging the home is in a safe condition at the time of sale. If asbestos or carbon monoxide leaks were apparent to the seller, and the person did not disclose that information, that would be grounds for a negligence lawsuit, as the seller breached the duty to transfer the home in a safe condition to the seller.
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Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Can Help Victims of Carbon Monoxide and Asbestos Poisoning
Carbon monoxide and asbestos poisoning are serious physical issues to happen to a person. The person that suffers exposure could become mentally impaired or impacted in other ways. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to learn more about the legal options you can pursue in a court of law. We offer free case evaluations. Get started on your case today by calling (800) 794-0444. A Los Angeles impaired mental ability lawyer can fight for justice and a fair financial award.
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