CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) FUMES INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT UNEXPLAINED WRECK OR ROLLOVER OR DEATH DUE TO LEAKY EXHAUST SYSTEMS ?
It is believed that deadly carbon monoxide (CO) fumes from a vehicle's exhaust kill hundreds of American each year. Many of these victims are killed in unexplained wrecks, rollovers and other mysteries. The carbon monoxide fumes slowly and quietly put the driver and passengers to sleep, and wrecks happen. The medical examiner often do not run a separate blood test to determine if CO is present, unless the facts demand it. These fumes include carbon monoxide a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating byproduct of incomplete combustion. Many people each year die from carbon monoxide (CO) leaks from a faulty or defective exhaust system or exhaust manifold. Many of unsolved questions in these unexplained one cars accidents may be answered by a simple blood or tissue test of the deceased driver. Such a test would show high concentrations of carbon monoxide in their blood gases at the time of their death.
Exhaust system is one of the most important components of a motor vehicle. It is a series of pipes that run under your car, connected with your muffler and your catalytic converter. The main function of your exhaust system is to control noise and to funnel exhaust fumes away from passengers. It can enhance its performance greatly. Improper/faulty exhaust systems can be disastrous not only for the vehicle but for the passenger's life as well. At high carbon monoxide concentrations CO intoxication occurs and severely impairs driving ability. People suffering from CO intoxication think slowly and irrationally, are confused, and are unable to safely operate a motor vehicle. Because they do not realize they are impaired, the condition is extremely dangerous. Others will slowly drift asleep/ passout from the lack of oxygen. Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen supply to the brain, causing carbon monoxide intoxication and ultimately, death.
Internal combustion gasoline engines produce extremely high carbon monoxide concentrations. Even a properly tuned gasoline engine, will produce more than 30,000 parts per million (ppm) of CO in the exhaust stream before the catalytic converter. An exhaust leak can allow escape of CO before it is converted to non-toxic CO2 in the catalytic converter. The CO leaking from the exhaust system can enter the vehicle through holes in the body or open windows or doors. Exhaust systems must be gas tight from the engine to the end of the tailpipe.
The typical catalytic converter found on most newer cars and trucks combines oxygen with carbon monoxide to form non-poisonous carbon dioxide (CO2) reducing the high concentrations in the exhaust manifold (typically 30,000 ppm or more) to low concentrations (typically below 1,000 ppm after the catalytic converter). Tailpipe concentrations of carbon monoxide in gasoline engines without catalytic converters are typically from 30,000 to over 100,000 ppm, depending on the condition of the engine.
If the gasket or rubber seal around the rear door or window is not good, carbon monoxide (CO) will be dragged inside the van or a car with air hence becoming dangerous and could kill passengers. Also a defective or leaky manifold gasket can be the source of carbon monoxide inhalation/ poisoning. In Sydney, Australia two children died after the family of six was poisoned by exhaust fumes. The two children had been seated in the back of the vehicle where the fumes were of the higher concentration of carbon monoxide(CO). Due to their proximity to the end of the exhaust system, the rear components of vans and station wagon cars are more vulnerable in carbon-monoxide poisoning. The suction effect applies when a rear tailgate window or the trunk is left open or when persons ride in the back of a pick-up truck under a topper. The suction produced as the truck is driven and the lack of ventilation in the topper combine to produce a potentially deadly combination. Normally active children who sleep while in the back of a pick-up may be sleepy because they are breathing carbon monoxide.
An individual can buy and install a carbon monoxide detector to prevent CO poisoning from occurring. One such device  is known as the CO GUARDIAN , pictured below. It plugs into a vehicle's cigarette lighter socket and alerts the occupants if the CO level starts to rise. Others have proposed having a full time CO sensor / CO detector built into the vehicle. Such a sensor would not only alert the occupant and the driver, but it would have a kill switch to turn off the engine. This would also prevent many exhaust / suicides from occurring as well as those unintended carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings.
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) DEATH - POISONING LAWSUIT - GET A FREE CASE EVALUATION
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or died as a result carbon monoxide poisoning due to a defective gasket on the exhaust manifold, leaky or defective exhaust system or improperly installed gaskets or seals around a vehicle's window, door or other components in a SUV, passenger car, RV or boat, then you may have a products liability case against the manufacturer or installer or other negligent parties.Call and talk with Mr. Willis, a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with over 20+ years of product liability and rollover litigation experience. Call the Willis Law Firm at 1-800-883-9858 or Click Here for a Free SUV Rollover Lawsuit Evaluation
PLEASE NOTE: The statements and information provided on this web site are for the informational purposes only. This law firm is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information purposes only .This webpage is provided to you to assist in SUV Rollover accidents, passenger van rollovers, 15 passenger van rollover accidents, recalls, truck accidents & rollovers, tire tread defects, tire separations, roof crush and roof pillar collapse, seat belt failures, fuel fed fires and other related rollover accident issues, including rollover injuries and deaths.This site is not intended to provide legal advice to the reader and NO attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to arise from the receipt this page and/or its associated pages or any oral or e-mail communication to or from with the Willis Law Firm. There will be NO lawsuits filed, claims made, letters or phone calls made for a prospective client, until that person is represented by the firm. An attorney client relationship only arises after the attorney and client have signed a written attorney client contract.
Mr. Willis is licensed attorney in New York and Texas. He is a Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Lawyer, certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Read more about Board Certification, Click Here. Principle office is Houston, Texas.
Mr. Willis has represented clients in personal injury, auto accident, suv rollover, van & truck rollovers and other product liability and negligence cases from across the United States, including clients from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin & West Virginia.
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