Tennessee Invisible Killer: Carbon Monoxide Injury and Death
Just last week, a West Tennessee family flirted with death by suffocation. This Lake County family, had an improperly vented heater that poured carbon monoxide fumes into their home. Early in my career as a trial lawyer, I handled my first two carbon monoxide death cases. This cause of death is often times connected to either improper venting of a source of this silent killing gas or a heater that inefficiently burns its fuel. Of course, space heaters are not the only potential threats.
Gas water heaters, pool heaters and, for that matter, propane BBQ's can all emit deadly amounts of this odorless, colorless and tasteless gas.
In 2005, two people died from carbon monoxide exposure by running propane buffers, both of which occurred in the workplace. In addition, the Tennessee Department of Health reported that in 2006 there were 11 unintentional deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning and approximately 150 people who suffered carbon monoxide-related injuries. In 2007, six more people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in Tennessee.
The deaths to which I made reference earlier happened in Paris, Tennessee and at Chucalissa Indian Village (over 30 years ago) which is just south of Memphis. In both cases, the product that was functioning properly became a death machine due to improper venting which resulted in a gas trap which then creates a self-perpetuating problem. In other words, the more CO in a space, the less efficient a heater will be in burning all of its fuel. The by product of this vicious cycle is Carbon Monoxode.This video will help explain why:
