Glendale Couple Settle Suit vs. Landlord Alleging Carbon Monoxide Exposure

LOS ANGELES (CNS) –  A married couple has settled a lawsuit against their landlord in which both alleged they nearly died in their ground-level Glendale apartment after being exposed to extremely high levels of carbon monoxide in 2023 because their unit lacked carbon monoxide alarms.

Attorneys for Jason Michael Plummer and Veronica Eileen Urias filed court papers on Monday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jon R. Takasugi notifying him that their suit against Vartges “Mark” Markarian was resolved. No terms were divulged.

“This case underscores the harm that results when landlords care more about money than tenant health and safety, and recklessly fail to comply with basic health and safety requirements applicable to the ownership and management of residential rental properties,” the suit filed in April 2023 stated.

The plaintiffs maintained they were exposed to chronic carbon monoxide leaks from a defective and/or inadequately maintained wall furnace and stove in their Glenoaks Boulevard apartment.

Plummber and Urias believe that during a rainy period in March 2023, an unqualified handyman hired by the landlord stripped the roof and covered it with plastic sheeting, covering the vent for the stove and wall furnace and leading to the dispersal of dangerous amounts of  the odorless gas.

The apartment also lacked any carbon monoxide alarms so money could be saved and the building’s cash flow increased, the suit alleged.

In their court papers, Markarian’s attorneys denied liability on their client’s part and cited multiple defenses to the plaintiffs’ allegations, including that any damages the couple suffered were caused by “an idiosyncratic condition” for which Markarian could not have done anything to avoid.

Glendale Couple Settle Suit vs. Landlord Alleging Carbon Monoxide Exposure | KFI AM 640 (iheart.com)

New CPSC Report Shows Upward Trend in Non-Fire CO Deaths Continues

“A new CPSC report shows that the upward trend in non-fire carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning deaths from consumer products, including portable generators and heating appliances, continued for the 11-year period from 2010 to 2020. The estimated number of non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with consumer products under CPSC’s jurisdiction rose to an all-time high of 254 in 2019. Although there were fewer estimated deaths, 211, in 2020, that number otherwise exceeds all earlier years in the period.”

Stay Safe, While Staying Warm This Winter; CPSC Warns Consumers to be Cautious When Using Generators, Furnaces and Space Heaters | CPSC.gov

Two men found dead in Milwaukee area home filled with carbon monoxide

MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — Two people were found dead in a home in suburban Milwaukee from an apparent carbon monoxide leak.

A family member first made the heartbreaking discovery at the home in Greenfield and called 911.

When first responders got there, they found two men, a father and son, unresponsive.

They immediately noticed the leak was coming from a furnace in the basement.

Officials are now urging you to make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide detectors are required in Wisconsin. They’re easy to install and are a strong defense against the colorless, odorless, poisonous gas.

Two men found dead in Milwaukee area home filled with carbon monoxide | News | wkow.com