A family from Mentor, Ohio, is suing a heating and cooling company they say failed to notice dangerous carbon monoxide leaks in their water heater. The family says that the carbon monoxide caused a number of physical ailments, including permanent brain injury for one woman.
The suit alleges that the company sold the family a faulty water heater in February 2011. The water heater leaked carbon monoxide gas, but the repair technicians failed to notice any problems despite repeated service calls. Once, the technician reportedly noted in his reports that the carbon monoxide level was high but failed to tell the family about the situation.
In March 2011, one of the female family members was taken to the Lake Health Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. This is a serious condition that causes decreased oxygen flow to the brain, which leads to permanent damage if not treated quickly. The woman developed toxic metabolic encephalopathy, a permanent brain injury that could only have been caused by the carbon monoxide.
Other members of the family say they are also suffering from chronic problems as a result of the mishap. Those include nausea, muscle spasms and memory loss, among others.
The family is claiming that the firm should have been more responsible in its assessment of the water heater’s problems. Perhaps replacing the water heater altogether instead of attempting repeated repairs would have been a better course of action.
Now the family is suing the heating and cooling company for $150,000 in damages, according to court records. They have requested a jury trial, and they are also seeking compensation for court fees and attorney’s expenses.
Source: Mentor Patch, “Mentor family sues heating company because of alleged CO poisoning,” Jason Lea, Aug. 14, 2012