At least 5 people were hospitalized after an apartment accident in Manhattan earlier this month. FDNY crews responded to an emergency call from a 7-story apartment building on the Lower East Side on December 10th after a number of people became sickened and disoriented. When rescue crews arrived, they immediately evacuated the entire building and the surrounding area due to extremely high carbon monoxide levels.
Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless gas that-when concentrated-can cause disorientation, loss of consciousness, and even death if victims aren’t treated rapidly. Essentially, the gas reduces a person’s ability to transport oxygen through the blood-effectively starving essential muscles and organs of life-giving oxygen.
In the aftermath of this particular apartment accident in New York City, five people were rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Treatment usually consists of oxygen therapy to get the individual’s blood gasses balanced once more.
Investigators found a fault in the heating system that they believe was causing the excess buildup of the gas. They shut the system down and ordered it to remain that way until the fault could be repaired.
Under New York City premises liability law, landlords have a duty to maintain their buildings in a reasonably safe condition including but not limited to inspecting and repairing heating systems that could potentially cause a carbon monoxide leak. In addition, most buildings are installed with detectors that will go off in the event of a carbon monoxide is detected. If property owners fail in maintaining their buildings properly and individuals are injured, they can be held financially liable for those injuries, the victim’s time out of work and any expenses associated with the injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a toxic gas build-up in your apartment building or because of any failure to maintain the building safely, you need an experienced apartment accident attorney in New York City fighting for you. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for the compensation you deserve today.