Hostel Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyer

Unlike hotels, hostels provide a dorm-like atmosphere for travelers who are looking for a cheap place to lay their head at night. Many hostels come with bunk beds and a small space for each visitor to store their belongings. Spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, and living areas are shared, which is ideal if you like meeting new people. Due to their rock-bottom prices, hostels skip out on most of the amenities you would expect from a hotel. However, a hostel still needs to be clean and safe, even if they’re operating on a budget. Owners, for example, are required to install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors throughout the property, especially in the sleeping areas.

Believe it or not, hostels are more prone to CO poisoning due to the fact that many of them use fuel-burning appliances like gas heaters and wood burning stoves. According to the CDC, carbon monoxide is a leading cause of fatality in the U.S., particularly at night when people are sleeping. Because the gas has no smell, taste, or color, it’s undetectable until you start having symptoms. However, those that are asleep are unlikely to wake up in time and find their way outside. Thus, it’s very common for these victims to die from the effects of carbon monoxide as it enters their bloodstream.

Were you a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning while you were staying at a hostel? Did your loved one die from the effects of CO poisoning due to a hostel owner’s negligence? Contact us right away to learn about your rights and legal options. We can help you obtain monetary compensation from the business and hold them responsible for the harm you’ve suffered.

Do I have Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? How can I Tell?

As we’ve mentioned, CO is an invisible gas with no taste or smell. So, how can you tell if you’ve been exposed to dangerous level of carbon monoxide? Keep an eye out for the following symptoms, which will occur as the gas enters your bloodstream and starts to replace the oxygen in your red blood cells:

• Weakness
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Respiratory distress
• Passing out

If you are sleeping during a carbon monoxide leak, it’s unlikely that you will notice these symptoms. That’s why carbon monoxide detectors are the best way to save lives in a hostel with fuel-burning appliances. Please seek medical attention right away, even if your symptoms don’t seem that serious. The long-term effects of CO poisoning are not obvious right away, so it’s important to be examined by a doctor as soon as possible.

Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements

California’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act

Properties like hostels often rely on fuel-burning devices for heating and cooking purposes. As a result, they are required by law to have carbon monoxide detectors throughout the premises, especially in rooms that are meant for sleeping. This law, known as the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act, mandates the installation of CO detectors on properties that use:

• Fuel-burning space heaters
• Generators
• Water heaters
• Boilers
• Charcoal grills
• Cooking ranges  that use gas
• Fireplaces / wood-burning stoves
• Chimneys
• Pool heaters

It’s common knowledge that a CO detector is cheap and easy to install. But owners of budget accommodations like hostels may look for ways to cut costs, even if it’s just a few dollars. This means they are likely to skip out on inspecting and maintaining their appliances, which is another reason why guests are vulnerable to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide at a hostel.

Can I Sue the Hostel if I Suffered Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Yes, you may have grounds to sue the hostel if they were negligent in their duty of care to prevent an incident of carbon monoxide poisoning. Failing to install CO detectors or not maintaining them, meaning they were defective at the time you were harmed, are the most common forms of negligence in these cases. However, it’s essential to discuss your case with an attorney, who can identify the exact cause of your injuries.

Those who are most vulnerable to the effects of CO poisoning are the elderly, young children and babies, pregnant women, and people with preexisting heart, respiratory, or blood disorders. Based on the level of exposure, carbon monoxide can cause devastating health complications, including heart damage and brain damage, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth. If you or your loved one suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning at a hostel, you may be entitled to the following compensation:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages / income
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Attorney’s fees
• Punitive damages

Your damages may go beyond the immediate costs of treating your injuries. For instance, if your exposure to CO causes lifelong issues that limit your ability to work, you can ask for future lost wages / loss of earning potential, along with future medical costs. This is just one of many issues we will go over with you in order to maximize your payment from a hostel carbon monoxide injury claim. For more information on the damages you can recover, contact us for a free case review.

Can I Sue if my Loved One Died from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

It’s an unfortunate reality, but CO poisoning is a leading cause of accidental deaths in hotels, motels, and hostels throughout the world. As a surviving spouse or family member of someone who died from carbon monoxide poisoning, you may be eligible for wrongful death compensation in the form of:

• Funeral / burial costs
• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of expected income and/or benefits
• Loss of consortium
• Legal fees

Proving a hostel’s liability for your loved one’s death is an extremely challenging process, so please don’t delay in speaking with one of our attorneys. Our lawyers have many years of experience with wrongful death lawsuits and know what it takes to bring you the compensation you deserve.

What is a Hostel Carbon Monoxide Claim Worth?

When we see clients for the first time, many of them ask us about the average case value of a CO poisoning injury claim. This question is difficult to answer, as each victim suffers varying degrees of physical and mental harm as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide. But settlements in these cases are generally high, and it’s not unusual to see case values of $2 million to over $10 million.

Large settlements are typically awarded to victims with permanent disability, like brain damage that compromises their ability to perform basic tasks. Many of these lawsuits include punitive damages, which a defendant may be ordered to pay if the negligence that caused the accident is especially outrageous. Not replacing defective CO detectors, even after multiple injury complaints from previous guests, for example, may be considered gross negligence. In that case, the court may award an additional sum on top of the victim’s settlement as a way to punish the hostel owner.

Even if punitive damages are not relevant in your case, most victims of carbon monoxide poisoning are left with significant financial and emotional losses. Our job is to explore all the complexities in your case and fight for every penny you deserve from the at-fault party.

How long will it take to Settle my Case?

Settlement timelines vary widely, and there’s no way to predict many of the complications that can come up throughout your case. Sometimes, the hostel owner is eager to make things right and will work with us to negotiate a fair settlement. In these situations, a payment may be recovered within the first 6 months. However, a good number of these claims take much longer, due to the severity of injuries and the high values associated with these cases. Thus, it could take around a year to 18 months before a just settlement is achieved. The most contentious cases may go to trial, though it’s more than likely that the lawsuit will be settled by mediation before then. But that process can still take two years or longer, depending on the complexities in your case.

Statute of Limitations for a Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuit

In the state of California, CO poisoning victims have two years from the date of their injuries to seek compensation from the responsible party. In the case of wrongful death, you have two years to file a lawsuit from the date of your loved one’s passing. The two year time limit is absolute in most cases, and it’s unlikely that the courts will grant you an extension if the miss the deadline to file your claim. Thus, it’s imperative to speak with an attorney, who can initiate the legal process on your behalf. A hostel carbon monoxide poisoning lawyer is ready to speak with you, so contact our law firm as soon as possible.

Schedule a Free Second Opinion

Our attorneys offer second opinion on active claims for those who are not getting the attention they deserve from their attorney. Lack of caring, disorganization, and little experience are just some of the reasons that claimants are unhappy with their lawyers, and it’s hard to know what to do in these situations. A lawyer experienced in carbon monoxide poisoning is available to review your case and advise you of the methods to get your case back on track. Regardless of how you choose to proceed after our meeting, there is cost to you for the consultation. To schedule a second opinion with one or our experts, please contact our office.

Contact Normandie Law Firm

Though carbon monoxide poisoning is easy to prevent, cases of injury and death are still an on-going problem in our country’s hostels. These problems are almost always traced back to the owner’s negligence, like failing to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors on the property.

If you are suffering from the consequences of carbon monoxide poisoning at a hostel, please consider a free consultation with one of our attorneys. There is no fee for the consultation, nor will you pay us a single penny if you decide to retain our services. Under the Zero fee guarantee, our costs are covered by the party you are suing. That means we get paid at the end of your case, and only if we succeed in recovering your settlement.

We are ready for the challenge of taking on your case and achieving justice for your harm and suffering. Call us today for a free, no-obligation case review.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Motel Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyer
Hotel Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyer