Thanks to the unseasonably cool weather, many homes and businesses throughout the state of Tennessee have been keeping their furnaces on and their thermostats set to higher temperatures.
While the simple act of running a furnace seems unremarkable on its own, it’s important to understand that it’s never without risks. Indeed, the incomplete combustion of fuels in a furnace — as well as water heaters, fireplaces and even wood stoves — or the leaking of either natural gas or propane from these heating units can result in the creation of carbon monoxide.
As you may already be aware, prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide, which has no color, odor or taste, is frequently lethal. Indeed, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that an average of 439 people died every year as a result of unintentional, non-fire related carbon monoxide accidents from 1999 to 2004.
While a person may be tempted to dismiss these numbers given the advances in safety equipment and heating technology that have occurred over the last decade, the reality is that people are still losing their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Some of the reasons include:
- Faulty carbon monoxide detectors that fail to operate as advertised despite proper installation
- Business owners neglecting to install or maintain carbon monoxide detectors
- Heating companies failing to properly install furnaces and other gas appliances, and/or vent the carbon monoxide outside the structure
At the Terry Law Firm, we have the skill and the tenacity needed to hold negligent parties accountable for carbon monoxide accidents. To learn more about our extensive experience in this area of personal injury law, please visit our website.
