Carbon monoxide has no color, no smell, and no warning which is exactly why it’s called the silent killer. Victims often don’t realize they’ve been exposed until it’s too late.
Every year, families across Hampton Roads are exposed to it in their own homes, in rented apartments, in hotel rooms, vacation rentals, and even aboard boats, often because someone else failed to maintain a heating system, ventilate an enclosed space properly, or install working detectors.
Hampton Roads has many older homes and buildings, with entire neighborhoods in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton built decades before modern carbon monoxide safety codes existed.
Add a dense rental market, a military community that turns over housing constantly, and a heavy tourism and hotel industry along the Oceanfront, and you have a region with more than its share of aging furnaces, boilers, and water heaters that were never properly inspected or maintained.
If you or a loved one has been sickened, hospitalized, or lost someone to carbon monoxide poisoning anywhere in Hampton Roads, you may have a legal claim against the property owner, landlord, contractor, or manufacturer responsible.
The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC has spent decades representing injured Virginians, right here in Hampton Roads, and we don’t get paid unless you do. Call (757) 233-0009 or email us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Carbon Monoxide Cases We Investigate
Our attorneys represent clients poisoned by carbon monoxide in situations including:
- Faulty or poorly maintained furnaces, boilers, and water heaters
- Landlord failure to inspect, repair, or maintain heating systems in rental units
- Missing or non-functioning carbon monoxide detectors in rentals required to have them
- Hotel and short-term rental negligence (malfunctioning pool heaters, boilers, or HVAC systems)
- Improperly vented gas-powered appliances, generators, or space heaters
- Defective or improperly installed heating equipment
- CO leaks in multi-unit apartment or condo buildings affecting several residents
- Contractor negligence during HVAC installation or repair
- Carbon monoxide poisoning leading to permanent neurological injury
- Wrongful death caused by carbon monoxide exposure
Experience With Virginia Carbon Monoxide Cases
Attorney Richard J. Serpe has spent nearly 40 years representing individuals and families hurt by someone else’s negligence, including severe carbon monoxide injures and wrongful death. Mr. Serpe has been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for over 20 years.
Best Lawyers named him Norfolk’s 2027 Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, an honor he also received in 2020.
Attorney Ashley E. Strandjord has extensive experience helping victims of carbon monoxide poisoning across Hampton Roads and Virginia. She takes a thorough approach to these cases, carefully examining how the exposure occurred, who may be responsible, and how the injuries have affected her clients.
When you work with the Serpe Firm, you’ll receive:
- Decades of experience with CO exposure cases
- Personalized attention and responsive communication
- Thorough case preparation and investigation
- No legal fees unless we win your case
Virginia Carbon Monoxide Settlement Examples
- $2.5 Million: Faulty building repairs led to fatal CO poisonings in Portsmouth
- $1.5 Million: Negligent repairs cause severe CO poisoning to family in a Portsmouth rental
Every case is different and prior results cannot guarantee a similar outcome. The value of your case depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the evidence, the available insurance coverage, and how the exposure has affected your life specifically. We evaluate every case individually.
Our Clients Say it Best!
“We cannot thank Serpe Firm enough for the support and representation they provided throughout our case. From the beginning, they demonstrated respect, compassion, and a high level of professionalism. They kept us informed, answered our questions clearly, and handled our case with integrity, commitment, and dedication. Thanks to their experience and hard work, we achieved a favorable outcome. At every step, we felt our family was in good hands and that we had a team that truly cared about us and our case. We are deeply grateful to the entire Serpe Firm team and highly recommend them to anyone looking for responsible, honest, and dedicated attorneys who not only provide excellent legal representation but also truly care about their clients.” – AVVO Client Review
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Compensation
Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be entitled to recover:
- Medical expenses (past and future, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy or ongoing neurological care)
- Lost income and earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent impairment, including lasting neurological damage
- Wrongful death of a loved one
How Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Happens
- Faulty or poorly maintained heating systems: furnaces, boilers, and water heaters in older homes and apartment buildings that leak CO into living spaces
- Improper ventilation: gas-powered appliances, generators, or space heaters used in enclosed or poorly vented areas
- Landlord and property management negligence: allowing faulty furnaces, heating equipment, or other unsafe conditions to go unrepaired, or failing to provide carbon monoxide alarms when required by Virginia law.
- Hotel and short-term rental negligence: malfunctioning pool heaters, boilers, or HVAC systems in guest rooms and shared mechanical spaces
- Boats and marine vessels: generator and engine exhaust that collects in cabins, cockpits, or swim platform areas
- Defective products: heaters, generators, or appliances with design or manufacturing defects
Who Can Be Held Responsible
Once everyone is safe and treated, the legal question becomes: who let this happen? Depending on the circumstances, liability may fall on:
- A landlord or property management company that ignored maintenance requests or failed to install required detectors
- A hotel, motel, or short-term rental host
- An HVAC contractor who improperly installed or serviced a heating system
- A manufacturer of a defective heater, generator, or appliance
Our firm investigates the mechanical and ownership history behind the exposure, inspection records, maintenance logs, prior complaints, to determine exactly who’s accountable.
FAQs About Virginia CO Poisoning Cases
Who is responsible if I was poisoned in my rental apartment? Landlords have a legal duty to maintain safe premises, which can include properly functioning heating systems and, in many cases, working carbon monoxide detectors. If negligent maintenance caused your injury, you may have a claim against the property owner or management company.
What if I was exposed to carbon monoxide at work? Workplace exposures are usually handled differently than exposure in a home or hotel. In Virginia, on-the-job injuries, including carbon monoxide poisoning, are generally covered under workers’ compensation, which limits your claim against your employer directly. However, if a third party caused the exposure (a contractor, an equipment manufacturer, or a property owner other than your employer) you may still have a separate personal injury claim against them in addition to any workers’ comp benefits. We can help sort out which claims apply to your situation.
What if I was exposed at a hotel while traveling? Hotels have a duty to maintain safe guest rooms and mechanical systems. A CO exposure caused by a malfunctioning boiler, pool heater, or HVAC system can support a claim against the property.
What if I was exposed aboard a boat? Carbon monoxide exposure aboard a boat or other vessel may be governed by maritime law. The laws that apply can depend on where the injury occurred, the type of vessel, and whether you were a passenger, crew member, or charter guest. Attorney Richard Serpe holds an LL.M. in Maritime Law and has extensive experience handling maritime injury claims.
What does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer? Nothing upfront. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Hampton Roads Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawyers
If you or a family member has been harmed by carbon monoxide exposure anywhere in Hampton Roads or Virginia we are here to help you. The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC offers free consultations and never charges legal fees unless we win.
Call (757) 233-0009 or send us an email to schedule your free consultation.
