here_today_gone2Maui

Monique, I am wondering about your carbon monoxide incident. We are currently involved in a CO case with a Holiday Inn in SD that landed my daughter in a hospital with moderate to severe exposure based on her blood gas levels. Did you settle with your hotel and how much of a battle did you have? I'd be interested in hearing more about your experience.

here_today_gone2Maui

ttt for MoniqueU

MoniqueU

I did settle yes, years ago for an OK amount but it was limited by the hotels insurance coverage.
It wasn't much of a battle at all. It took some time, there were one set of depositions and submitting our medical reciepts. Our case was very cut and dry. They were replacing the heaters when we drove by after being released from the hospital.

here_today_gone2Maui

Did you have an attorney? The insurance company for Holiday Inn has told us that the money has run out and they can't even pay the rest of her hospital bills due to their insurance cap. I hate to hire an attorney who will take a third of the money, but they can't nealry kill two college age girls and then tell them they can only pay part of their medical bills. My daughter catually lost consciousness at one point and had it not been for thier friends who came looking for them at their room, well, I don't want to think about what may have happened!

dwooddon

here_today_gone2Maui: IMO, you need to consult a personal injury attorney ASAP. These kinds of cases can have insidious, lingering effects and you could easily run out the Statute of Limitations before you discovered long lasting damage.

Without an attorney, you are also going to continue to get answers like insurance caps and never-ending delays.

here_today_gone2Maui

Actually we already have established a relationship with a toxic law attorney who is also an MD, but he has quite honestly told us that if we proceed with a lawsuit it could take years and by the time we are done we might still have to pay those hospital bills by ourselves. The problem with a CO case is that unless you can prove some residual damage you are essentially missing one of the four points you need to warrant a lawsuit and residual damage is not always obvious or it might manifest itself years later.

I was just curious if Monique settled her case herself or if she had an attorney.

MoniqueU

Yes I had a lawyer. Yes he took a fair portion of it. However he IMHO earned it. He looked our for our best interest, sent us to the best Dr's everything. Things I may not of even thought of checking into.
Do I think I got fair compensation for what happened to us? Not really however I did live to tell so life is its own reward.
I do agree to get a PI attourney, they really all aren't horrible. Some take it on contingency. I also have trouble believeing that the HI's insurance has run out. I would think they would have to have a minimum coverage amount. Ours did and we got nearly the max, minus fees of course and this was just some hobunk Williams Courtesy Inn.

I am a TOTAL hotel snob now, gee wonder why????

I am curious what your daughters levels were? I know it can do permanent damage. I had enough in me to not wake up, they couldn't say why I did as medically it wasn't likely, yet I came to.
Husband was out for about 8 hours after they got us. Lung collapsed, urinated muscle tissue, still has loss of feeling in his back from where he was laying so long etc. Pretty scarey stuff. I do not understand why there is not a national law requiring Carbon Monoxide detectors in all hotels. It is a very cheap safety measure if you ask me.