Carbon monoxide poisoning compensation claims

What are some symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

A tension headache where you have pain on both sides of the head and tightened neck muscles is the commonest symptom of mild exposure.

Other mild symptoms can include:

• Dizziness
• Feeling sick and/or vomiting
• Feeling tired and confused
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Stomach pain.

Symptoms of mild carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those for flu (but without a raised temperature) and food poisoning. The symptoms usually get worse the longer you're exposed to the gas and often recede when you're away from the gas.

In there's a lot of carbon monoxide in the air, prolonged inhalation for up to two hours can lead to:

• A loss of balance, vision or memory
• Loss of consciousness.

What can happen after heavy exposure to carbon monoxide? 

Longer-term exposure can have very serious side-effects which can be permanent. They include:

• A foggy mental state and personality changes resembling intoxication.
• Vertigo - feeling the room is spinning around you.
• Ataxia - loss of coordination through damage to the nervous system.
• Tachycardia - breathlessness and a racing heart beat above 100 beats per minute at rest. 
• Chest pain from angina or heart attack . 
• Muscle spasms and seizures caused by random and uncontrolled bursts of electricity in the brain.
• Complete loss of consciousness where death can follow in minutes without emergency medical help.

Children and elderly people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If your child or an elderly relative has been injured in this way, please get in contact. We know how hard it can be to see someone close to you go through such a hard time. We can help by providing free and impartial advice - simply give us a call on .

What is the treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning?

If you think you may have suffered low-level exposure to carbon monoxide in home or work, visit your GP. Mild exposure doesn't usually need treatment but always make sure you seek medical advice.

If you've been exposed to high levels and are suffering any of the systems listed above, then go straight to your local hospital A&E department.

While your symptoms will indicate whether or not you've been poisoned, a blood test will indicate how much carboxyhaemoglobinyou have in your blood. A reading of 30% is indicative of severe exposure.

High exposure is usually treated with breathing equipment that gives you 100% pure oxygen until the carboxyhaemoglobin level drops to under 10%. Recovery depends on the level of carbon monoxide poisoning you've suffered and for how long.

Are you unsure who's responsible for your accident?

We know that it can sometimes be hard to tell whether someone is at fault for your accident, but we can help with that. It could be due to negligence by a residential or business premises landlord or even by your employer. If you've been poisoned by their negligence, then you may be able to make a carbon monoxide compensation claim.

The best way to find out if somebody is at fault for your carbon monoxide accident is to get in touch with our personal injury advisors on .

When you get in touch with us, we'll listen to your experience, ask you some questions and then can let you know whether we think you can make a carbon monoxide compensation claim. You'll never be pressured into starting a claim, we'll simply let you know if we can help.

Do landlords have to supply carbon monoxide detectors?

Yes they do under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015. They are under a duty of care to install a CO alarm in any room where solid fuel is burned. They aren't required to install alarms in rooms or spaces where gas or oil is burned as a fuel (for instance in a boiler), but it is considered best practice if they do.

There's potential to be exposed to carbon monoxide at work. Under HSE regulations, employers must provide good ventilation and CO detectors where appropriate to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning at work. They must also ensure all related equipment installation is safe and fit for purpose.

How do I pay for making a carbon monoxide compensation claim?

You do this with a no win no fee arrangement, also known as a conditional fee agreement. It's the contract between you and your no win no fee specialist carbon monoxide lawyer.

There are no upfront costs or hidden charges but if you win the claim, you'll be asked to pay any costs and expenses, not paid for by the other side, out of your compensation. This is likely to happen in most cases, as the other side is only required to make a contribution to your legal fees.

These costs will only be deducted when your compensation is paid, and may include: 

• A ‘success fee' which compensates the solicitor for the risk they take, as if your claim is unsuccessful they won't be paid at all.
• Any other legal costs or expenses not recovered from the other side, such as the costs of any legal expense insurance.

When you start your claim, your solicitor will take out legal insurance protection on your behalf. This is sometimes called ATE (After The Event) insurance. If your claim is unsuccessful, then the other party's costs will be paid out of this insurance. 

If you don't receive any compensation, then you won't have to pay for the ATE insurance. If your claim is successful, then it'll be paid out of your compensation as part of the fees.

Your solicitor will discuss this with you at the start, so you'll know what to expect when your claim settles. If you don't win your no win no fee claim, you pay nothing to anyone. It's as simple as that.