Personal Injury Law

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Baltimore County Fire Department Says Latest Carbon Monoxide Not the First Involving Essex Townhouse Community

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq. (all)

In Baltimore County last Wednesday, three women, an 18-month-old boy, and an 11-year-old boy were transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning. All five victims live in the first block of Cove Village Complex, a townhouse community.

Readings showed approximately 85 parts per million of the gas close to an upstairs bedroom and 74 parts per million in the downstairs area. Most CO detectors go off at around 35 parts per million.

According to the Baltimore County Fire Department, this is not the first time that CO poisoning has been an issue at the complex. In July 2005, a 48-year-old resident and his two stepdaughters, ages 15 and 14, died in their home. The tragic accident occurred because a hot-water heater had a faulty pipe. In August 2005, nine people were rushed to a hospital after suffering from symptoms associated with carbon monoxide poisoning.

There are now carbon monoxide alarms throughout the complex. Last year, however, the fire department was called to Maryland townhouse complex 20 times because the alarms went off.

The unit where Wednesday?s incident occurred is owned by Sawyer Reality Holdings LLC.

Carbon Monoxide
CO often goes undetected, which is one of the reasons it claims so many lives. It continues to be the number one cause of accidental poison deaths in the US. Exposure to carbon monoxide for an extended period of time can lead to brain damage and death.

Earlier this month, a family staying in an Ocean City, Maryland condominium had to evacuate the premise when they started feeling sick because of a carbon monoxide leak. Firefighters say the level of carbon monoxide was over 1,000 parts per million. A mother, father, two grandchildren, and two grandparents were treated and released from Atlantic General Hospital.

Three years ago, a father and his 10-year-old died in Ocean City at a Days Inn because of a carbon monoxide leak. The man?s widow filed a $30 million Maryland wrongful death lawsuit against several defendants and a settlement was reached this April.

A property manager that fails to properly maintain a premise can be held liable for Maryland premises liability if a carbon monoxide leak causes someone to get sick or sustain a brain injury.

5 hospitalized with CO exposure symptoms, Examiner.com, June 25, 2009

Pa. family made sick by toxic gas in condominium, DelMarvaNw.com, June 18, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, EMedicineHealth.com

Premises Liability Overview, Justia

Our Baltimore County personal injury lawyers would like to discuss your Maryland premises liability case with you. Contact Lebowitz & Mzhen today.

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).