Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Houston Lawyers

Houston, Texas is one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the United States. Home to everything from the Rothko Chapel to the Houston Rockets, oil and gas exploration to cutting-edge medical treatments, it is a constant draw for business people and tourists alike. In fact, according to data from Houston First, 22 million people visited the city in 2017 alone.

The problem, though, is that many of the hotels do not adhere to the safety standards these visitors might expect. Because Texas law does not demand that hotels install carbon monoxide detectors in guest rooms, people who stay at hotels and motels in Houston, Texas risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you or someone you care about has been adversely affected by symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, the Houston lawyers at Carabin Shaw are here to protect your rights and pursue your case.

If you are staying in Houston, Texas, you should be informed about the causes, symptoms, and risks of carbon monoxide—both as a preventative measure and to learn how an attorney can assist you if you encounter carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, scentless, and tasteless gas released by fuel-burning equipment and appliances, such as generators, pool heaters, stoves, and furnaces. In less serious cases, carbon monoxide can make people sick. However, lengthy exposure to carbon monoxide causes lasting damage to the brain and nervous system and may even result in death.

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those associated with the flu, though people exposed to carbon monoxide are not feverish. Visitors in Houston, Texas should be aware of the following symptoms:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Body aches
• Muscle weakness
• Chest pain
• Confusion

Doctors, lawyers, and emergency personnel know that nobody is immune to carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact, the CDC reports that roughly 50,000 people visit hospitals every year for carbon monoxide poisoning, and at least 430 people die from prolonged exposure.

If you or someone you love experienced any of these symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, Houston lawyers at Carabin Shaw are ready to fight tirelessly on your behalf.

Given that carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, it is disheartening that, across the country, cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in hotels occur far too often. In a report for USA Today, Lindell Weaver, a professor of medicine at the University of Utah, explains that carbon monoxide is especially dangerous in hotels because it can affect dozens of people at once. The Houston injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw know how insidious carbon monoxide poisoning can be in such a setting.

For example, in 2017, while guests were playing and relaxing at a hotel’s indoor pool in Niles, Michigan, a faulty pool heater caused the carbon monoxide levels to rise thirty times higher than the US standard for carbon monoxide exposure. Fourteen people, nine of whom were children, were rushed to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. Medics found five of these children unconscious and one, heartbreakingly, dead.

Many hotels in Houston, Texas are not protected from a tragedy like the one in Niles, so visitors must be hyper-vigilant about responding to symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Houston lawyers at Carabin Shaw will help you file a lawsuit and receive redress for your suffering if you experience carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you find yourself wondering about the risks of carbon monoxide exposure for hotel guests in Houston, attorneys at Carabin Shaw are here to answer your questions. The lawyers at our firm know that traveling should be a safe, enriching experience. For visitors who have been robbed of that safety, please remember that you are not alone.

At Carabin Shaw, we promise to aggressively represent our clients and advocate for justice. We guarantee that your initial consultation will be free, and we will not charge you unless we win your case.

To speak with an attorney in Houston, Texas, please call 346.236.1489 or toll-free at 1.800.862.1260.