For 25+ Years, Our Attorneys Have Been the Leading Attorneys in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Associated with Boating

Wakeboarding Boat idling near dock

According to the CDC, “Gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it.” The number of deaths to boaters caused by CO poisoning has been an underreported and tragic problem for many years. What is worse, the victims are too often children and other vulnerable people. This typically occurs at the rear of and in the water immediately behind rear-exhaust vented ski or family recreational boats. As CO poisoning can kill in just a matter of seconds, safety experts have urged boating and water enthusiasts not to occupy the swim platform or water within 20 feet behind the boat while the engine is on.

The attorneys of McCune Law Group (MLG) have worked tirelessly alongside clients to pass boat carbon monoxide legislation and greatly reduce senseless deaths. MLG have represented a number of families who lost family members to carbon monoxide poisoning while boating. But MLG also worked to make industry change and to raise awareness. MLG was heavily involved in getting California Assembly Bill 2222 (Kortez) passed. This bill “requires that a set of carbon monoxide warning stickers be placed on the transom and helm of all new and used motorized vessels sold in California on or after May 1, 2005.” MLG’s efforts have also led to registered boat owners in California, Washington, and Utah receiving important lifesaving information about boat CO dangers through the yearly boat registration process. MLG has donated a portion of settlement funds to fund a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness, and to fund public service announcements.

What Are the Symptoms of CO Poisoning?

Symptoms of CO poisoning commonly include:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Chest Pain
  • Death (Following high levels of inhalation)
  • Drowning

Helping Families in Southern California and Beyond

MLG is dedicated to representing families who have lost a loved one from CO poisoning at the back of a recreational boat, and continues to advocate for change through new legislation, which would ultimately save boaters’ lives. In recent years, our attorneys have recovered large verdicts and settlements for clients across the Inland Empire region, including a $4.282 million verdict related to a ski boat manufacturing defect.

If you have lost a loved one from deadly CO poisoning, or a loved one has been harmed in a boat-related incident, let us seek justice on their behalf and maximize your compensation. Call McCune Law Group at (909) 345-8110 today for a free consultation to see how we can help you.

How We Can Help