Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Compensation Claims
Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen without warning and can have serious consequences for your health. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen, smelt or tasted, so many people are unaware they have been exposed until symptoms begin to appear. In some cases, the effects are short term, while more severe exposure can lead to permanent injury or even death.
If you believe there may still be carbon monoxide in a property or workplace, leave the area immediately, seek urgent medical attention and contact the relevant emergency services if there is an immediate danger. Do not return until it has been confirmed safe. Your health and safety should always come before seeking legal advice.
If your carbon monoxide poisoning happened because somebody else failed to meet their legal responsibilities, you may be able to make a carbon monoxide claim. This could involve a landlord who failed to maintain gas appliances, an employer who exposed staff to unsafe working conditions, or another organisation responsible for maintaining premises or equipment.
At Tylers Solicitors, we provide straightforward advice to people who have suffered illness or injury because of negligent carbon monoxide exposure. Where appropriate, we can also advise on No Win No Fee funding and explain whether you may have grounds to pursue compensation.
To discuss your circumstances, call our team on 0800 699 0079.
Can I Make A Carbon Monoxide Claim?
A carbon monoxide claim may be possible if your exposure happened because another person or organisation failed to take reasonable steps to keep you safe.
Liability will always depend on the individual circumstances, but claims commonly involve landlords, employers, property managers, housing associations, local authorities, gas engineers, maintenance contractors or others responsible for inspecting and maintaining gas appliances or heating systems.
For example:
A claim may arise where someone failed to repair a known fault, did not carry out appropriate gas safety checks, installed equipment incorrectly or ignored reports that an appliance or heating system could be dangerous.
To pursue compensation, it will normally be necessary to show that:
- You were exposed to carbon monoxide
- Another party owed you a duty of care
- That duty was breached through negligent action or inaction
- The exposure caused your illness or injury
If your illness resulted from unsafe working conditions, our accident at work claims team can also advise whether your circumstances give rise to a workplace claim.
For broader practical guidance, read about your rights following an illness or injury at work.
Common Causes Of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Claims
Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, wood, coal or oil do not burn properly because there is insufficient oxygen. When appliances are correctly installed, regularly serviced and properly ventilated, the risk is greatly reduced. Problems often arise where equipment has become faulty or maintenance has been neglected.
Many carbon monoxide claims involve defective or poorly maintained:
- Gas boilers
- Gas fires
- Cookers
- Water heaters
- Central heating systems
- Wood-burning stoves
- Open fires
- Blocked chimneys or flues
Unsafe ventilation can also increase the risk, particularly where combustion appliances are used in enclosed spaces.
Carbon monoxide exposure is not limited to homes. Faulty vehicle exhaust systems, fuel-powered machinery and industrial heating equipment can also create dangerous conditions if they are operated in poorly ventilated areas.
Many of these incidents could have been avoided through proper inspections, routine servicing and timely repairs.
Landlord Carbon Monoxide Claims
Landlords have legal responsibilities to help ensure gas appliances provided within rented accommodation are maintained safely. Annual gas safety checks are generally required for relevant gas appliances, and landlords should arrange inspections by a suitably qualified engineer.
Current regulations also require carbon monoxide alarms in certain rented properties where qualifying fixed combustion appliances are present.
Where landlords fail to carry out appropriate maintenance, ignore reports of faulty heating systems or do not respond to concerns raised by tenants, the consequences can be extremely serious.
If you have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in rented accommodation, evidence that may support your claim includes gas safety certificates, engineer reports, maintenance records, correspondence with your landlord and records of any complaints made before the incident occurred.
Every claim depends on its own facts, but where a landlord has failed to meet their legal responsibilities and this has caused injury, compensation may be available.
Workplace Carbon Monoxide Claims
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also occur in workplaces where combustion engines or fuel-burning appliances are used.
Employees working in garages, vehicle workshops, warehouses, factories, commercial kitchens, construction sites, plant rooms and similar environments may face increased risks if suitable precautions are not taken.
Employers should take reasonable steps to identify foreseeable risks and provide a safe working environment. Depending on the nature of the workplace, this may include carrying out suitable risk assessments, maintaining equipment properly, ensuring adequate ventilation and introducing safe systems of work to reduce exposure.
Where these measures have not been followed and an employee becomes ill as a result, it may be possible to pursue compensation.
If your illness developed because of unsafe workplace conditions, our industrial disease claims team can assess whether you may have grounds to bring a claim.
Symptoms & Long Term Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can vary depending on the level of exposure and how long a person has been breathing contaminated air.
Many people initially experience headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, tiredness and confusion. Some also develop breathlessness, chest pain or difficulty concentrating.
As exposure continues, symptoms may become much more serious. Loss of coordination, collapse, loss of consciousness and severe neurological problems can occur where high levels of carbon monoxide have been inhaled. In the most serious cases, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause permanent brain injury, heart problems or prove fatal.
Some people continue to experience lasting effects after the initial poisoning. Memory difficulties, poor concentration and ongoing neurological symptoms may remain long after the source of the exposure has been removed.
If you believe you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, you should seek urgent medical assessment. Early diagnosis is important both for your health and for identifying whether carbon monoxide poisoning has occurred.
Find Out If You May Have A Carbon Monoxide Compensation Claim
Once everyone is safe and appropriate medical treatment has been obtained, our team can assess whether negligent exposure may give rise to a claim.
What Evidence Do I Need For A Carbon Monoxide Compensation Claim?
Carbon monoxide claims often depend on both medical evidence and evidence showing how the exposure happened. The stronger the available evidence, the easier it is to understand what caused the poisoning and who may have been responsible.
Medical records are usually one of the first pieces of evidence considered. Depending on the circumstances, these may include GP records, hospital notes, ambulance records and blood test results where carbon monoxide exposure has been confirmed. These records help establish the nature of your illness and the treatment you required.
Evidence relating to the property or workplace can also be important. This may include reports prepared by Gas Safe registered engineers, gas safety certificates, maintenance records, HSE investigations, local authority reports or fire service records where an incident has been investigated.
Photographs of appliances, carbon monoxide alarms, warning notices or the location where the exposure occurred may also assist. If concerns had previously been raised, copies of emails, letters or maintenance requests can help demonstrate that someone responsible for the property or equipment had been made aware of the problem before the incident occurred.
Where the poisoning affected your ability to work, documents showing lost earnings, medical expenses or travel costs may also form part of your claim.
Every claim is different, and the evidence required will depend on the individual circumstances. Our team can explain what information is likely to be most helpful after reviewing your case. Call us on 0800 699 0079.
Our guide to what to do when a workplace incident occurs explains further practical steps for protecting evidence.
Fatal Carbon Monoxide Claims
Sadly, carbon monoxide poisoning can sometimes have fatal consequences.
Where a loved one has died following carbon monoxide exposure that may have resulted from someone else’s negligence, family members or the deceased’s estate may be able to seek legal advice about bringing a claim.
These cases require particularly sensitive handling. Depending on the circumstances, claims may involve compensation relating to the injury itself, financial dependency, bereavement or funeral expenses, although eligibility will always depend on the facts of the case and the applicable law.
Fatal claims often require additional evidence, including coroner’s reports, inquest findings and other official documentation. Because different legal time limits and procedural rules may apply, it is important to seek specialist legal advice as early as possible.
Our team understands how difficult these situations can be and will always approach them with care, compassion and sensitivity.
Carbon Monoxide Compensation Amounts
The amount of compensation awarded in a carbon monoxide claim depends on the seriousness of the illness, how long symptoms lasted and the overall impact the poisoning has had on your life.
Compensation may include general damages for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the injury, together with special damages covering financial losses such as lost earnings, medical treatment, travel expenses and ongoing care where appropriate.
The figures below reflect the guideline compensation amounts currently used on this page and should be viewed as a broad indication only. Every claim is assessed individually using the available medical evidence and the specific circumstances of the case.
Need more information? Don’t worry, one of our professional claims solicitors will advise you along the way
Contact us on 0800 699 0079 or via our online contact form to start your claim today!
In more serious cases involving permanent neurological injury, psychological effects or significant financial losses, the overall value of a claim may be substantially higher because compensation also considers the wider impact on the injured person’s life.
For an initial indication only, you can also use our personal injury compensation calculator.
How Much Carbon Monoxide Compensation Could I Receive?
As with any personal injury claim the amount of compensation payable is usually determined by the severity of any injury or illness and the long term impact it has on your day to day living.
Short Term Side effects with no Residual Illness
For short term Illness that doesn’t result in long term health issues you could receive a compensation amount of:
Up to £3,500
Longer Term Side Effects resulting in Lung Damage
If you suffer carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of negligence that results in you suffering longer term illness and loss of earnings you could be paid a compensation amount of:
Up to £10,500
How Long Do I Have To Make A Carbon Monoxide Claim?
In England and Wales, most personal injury claims must usually be started within three years of the date of the injury or the date you first knew, or could reasonably have known, that your illness may have been caused by carbon monoxide exposure. This is commonly known as the date of knowledge.
Where someone has sadly died following carbon monoxide poisoning, different legal considerations may apply depending on the circumstances of the claim and who is bringing it.
Because these time limits can be complex, particularly where serious injury or fatal claims are involved, seeking legal advice as soon as possible is always recommended.
See our guide to personal injury claim time limits for further general information.
How Tylers Solicitors Can Help
Carbon monoxide claims often involve detailed investigations into how the exposure happened and who may have been responsible.
When you contact Tylers Solicitors, we will take the time to understand your circumstances, review the available evidence and explain whether you may have grounds to pursue compensation.
Where appropriate, we can investigate landlords, employers, contractors or other responsible parties, obtain medical evidence, review maintenance records and deal directly with insurers on your behalf.
If your claim is suitable, we can also explain No Win No Fee funding and guide you through each stage of the claims process with clear, practical advice.
If your injuries resulted from a gas explosion, fire or another gas-related incident rather than carbon monoxide poisoning, our gas leak compensation claims page may be more relevant. You can also find further information about our wider personal injury claims if your injury was caused by another person’s negligence.
Once everyone is safe and appropriate medical treatment has been obtained, contact Tylers Solicitors for clear advice on whether you may be able to make a carbon monoxide compensation claim.
You can call our team on 0800 699 0079, email us at info@tylerssolicitors.co.uk, or fill in our online contact form.
Table of Contents
Carbon Monoxide Claims FAQs
Can I claim for carbon monoxide poisoning?
You may be able to claim if your carbon monoxide poisoning resulted from someone else’s negligence, such as poor maintenance of gas appliances, unsafe premises or failures to carry out appropriate safety checks.
Can I claim against my landlord for carbon monoxide poisoning?
Potentially, yes. If your landlord failed to meet their gas safety responsibilities or did not respond appropriately to faults or reported concerns, you may have grounds to pursue compensation.
What evidence helps a carbon monoxide claim?
Useful evidence may include medical records, blood test results where available, gas engineer reports, Gas Safe certificates, maintenance records, photographs, witness statements and correspondence showing previous complaints or reported faults.
What should I do after suspected carbon monoxide exposure?
Leave the affected area immediately, seek urgent medical attention and report the incident to the relevant emergency service, landlord, employer or responsible organisation. Legal advice should only be sought once everyone is safe and appropriate medical care has been obtained.
Can I claim for carbon monoxide poisoning at work?
Yes, it may be possible where your employer failed to maintain equipment, provide a safe working environment, carry out suitable risk assessments or adequately control the risk of carbon monoxide exposure.
Can families claim after fatal carbon monoxide poisoning?
In some circumstances, family members or the deceased person’s estate may be able to pursue a claim following a fatal carbon monoxide incident. Because these claims are often complex, specialist legal advice should be sought as early as possible.
Related Claims And Guidance
Information for injuries caused by gas leaks, explosions, fires or other gas-related incidents.
Explore workplace claims where unsafe equipment, engines or heating systems caused exposure.
Read about workplace exposure to harmful gases, fumes and other hazardous substances.
Find broader guidance where illness or injury resulted from another party’s negligence.
Start Your Carbon Monoxide Compensation Claim
Once everyone is safe and appropriate medical treatment has been obtained, contact Tylers Solicitors for clear advice on whether you may be able to make a carbon monoxide compensation claim.
You can call our team on 0800 699 0079, email us at info@tylerssolicitors.co.uk, or fill in our online contact form.