Coleman Propane Heater Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Coleman heaters have recently been linked to carbon monoxide deaths. Based upon two lawsuits filed on December 14, 2006, the Coleman PowerMate 5045 propane heater is the main culprit that lead to the death of five people. The Coleman PowerMate 5045 heaters produce carbon monoxide, and more than a million of the dangerous heaters sold by Coleman remain in use by the public worldwide.
Coleman, purchased by Jarden Corporation in 1998, is the leading name in outdoor camping equipment, stoves, lanterns and heaters. Between 1984 and 2004, Coleman sold more than a million propane tank top heaters without oxygen depletion sensors or CO safety devices, claiming at least 75 lives nationwide. From 1984-1996, Coleman sold the propane-heating units under the name Focus heaters, and marketed them primarily to campers. In 1996, Coleman upgraded the BTU output capability of some of the heaters, named PowerMates, and marketed them as industrial heaters.
On June 29, 2005, a federal jury in Miami ordered Coleman Company to pay a Lake Worth, Florida, woman $10.1 million in damages in connection with a malfunctioning propane heater that killed her husband and son in 1999. The plaintiff’s family was on a hunting and camping trip, where they used the Coleman heater in their tent while they slept. As a result the malfunctioned heater filled the tent with carbon monoxide. A Washington State couple died in 2000 after using an earlier model Coleman heater in their tent; their families sued and reached a confidential settlement with Coleman in that case.
Legal Help For Victims Affected By Coleman Propane Heater
If you or a loved one suffered a wrongful death as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning from a defective Coleman heater, contact Parker & Waichman, LLP today for a free case consultation. Please complete a case evaluation inquiry on this webpage, or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) to speak with an attorney today.
