Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
The anticipation of summer break brings with it a lull in South Florida’s morning rush-hour traffic, but that respite is replaced by another seasonal concern: hurricane season.
Hurricane season runs every year from June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. While forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have described this season as “below normal,” because of El Niño weather patterns. Their predictions include three to six hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
Hurricane seasons described as “average” by NOAA officials include 14 named storms with seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. This season has a 55% chance of being below-normal, a 35% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of an above-normal season.
In a news briefing Thursday, May 28, NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs told reporters that, even with this prediction, people should not rest on their laurels and that Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in previous below-average seasons.
“Even though we’re expecting a below-average season in the Atlantic, it’s very important to understand that it only takes one,” he said.
Preparation before storms is key. Officials with the National Weather Service have advised for people to stock upon non-perishable food items, medicine, and other emergency items. Radios and flashlights should always be kept on hand as well as additional batteries in an abundance of caution to prepare for any power outages. With preparation for outages comes the use of generators. These devices are essential to power homes and necessary medical equipment. With the use of these generators, however, comes the potential dangers associated with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is almost impossible for people to detect before it is too late. When breathed in, the gas binds to the hemoglobin in the blood and makes it so that oxygen cannot travel properly throughout the body. Many people begin to lose consciousness before they realize they are in danger.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide can include dizziness, nausea, chest pain, confusion and a loss of consciousness. In data from the Centers for Disease Control, it is estimated that approximately 400 people die every year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States. This number does not include those who were accidentally exposed due to fire incidents. This exposure results in more than 100,000 emergency room visits in the U.S. annually.
When the gas is emitted in a small space, it can quickly build up to levels that are lethal. Even brief exposure in an enclosed or partially enclosed area can prove to be fatal.
This is why generators should generally be placed at least 20 feet away from any structure with an exhaust directed away from homes and other structures. Renters and homeowners alike should always equip their homes with battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that carbon monoxide detectors are responsible for saving around 200 lives every year in the U.S.
Leesfield & Partners has a long history of representing victims of carbon monoxide poisoning with the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, playing a key role in the passing or protective laws involving the toxic gas. Senate Bill 1822 requires certain public lodging establishments to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in buildings that were constructed after a certain date. These detectors must be installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room.
Safety Measures and Leesfield & Partners Past Cases
In the past, Leesfield & Partners has seen the devastating after-effects of hurricanes and other such storms. One instance came after Hurricane Andrew which devastated Florida in 1992, taking about 44 lives and causing at least $25.3 billion in damages. NWS officials have previously stated the majority of Andrews’ damage to the state was from wind. Today, this hurricane is ranked among the top five most powerful weather events of its kind to hit the United States.
After Hurricane Andrew, Florida legislators worked to pass laws that would protect people and property in case of natural disasters. One such move implemented uniform building codes to prevent building collapses and fortify new and existing buildings against hurricanes and other natural disasters. In 1998, the first Florida Building Code was passed. While these codes exist to protect the vulnerable, they are not always followed and can result in life-altering, avoidable injuries.
This was seen in the case of an 11-year-old girl who died trying to retrieve her golf ball from a pond and was electrocuted. In an investigation from Leesfield & Partners attorneys representing the girl’s family, it was discovered that the resort where she was playing mini-golf did not have the required ground fault circuit interrupter – a device made specifically to prevent electrocutions – installed for the decorative water foundation in the pond. Attorneys with the firm were able to secure a $10 million award for the family of the girl in that case.
Another family represented by Leesfield & Partners was staying at a hotel in Key West when carbon monoxide began leaking into their room. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that binds to the hemoglobin in a person’s blood, severely limiting their ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Luckily, the family in that case was able to call for help. Days later, the hotel rented out that same room to other guests who experienced the same frightening ordeal but were, thankfully, saved.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys were able to discover that the hotel failed to have a licensed technician inspect and repair a boiler room roof vent that had been damaged from Hurricane Wilma. Leesfield & Partners was able to secure an over $1 million settlement for the family in that instance.
The firm also represented a woman who was exposed to carbon monoxide at a foreign resort. The firm obtained an over $11 million recovery in that case.
A student who was visiting a college campus and staying at an accommodation owned by the university had to be hospitalized after being exposed to carbon monoxide as the student slept. In an investigation, attorneys found that there was over 200 ppm inside the house. The maximum carbon monoxide level that is considered “safe” while indoors is 9 ppm over eight hours, according to gas measurement specialists. The cause of the leak in that case was found to be an exhaust pipe in from the house’s furnace.
A confidential settlement was reached in that case.
