Robert P. Schuster, P.C., is representing a ten year old boy who was gassed by carbon monoxide in his home and now suffers from brain damage. The case is filed in Cook County, Illinois, against the manufacturer of a sensor device that was part of a carbon monoxide detector. In spite of alarmingly high levels of carbon monoxide in the home, the carbon monoxide detector did not activate—and the alarm built into the detector was not triggered. Subsequent testing demonstrated that the sensor device was defective, rendering the entire detector useless.
The child suffered a seizure at the time of the exposure and was taken to the local hospital where his carboxyhemoglobin level was measured at 20.4% in spite of the fact that he had been out of the house environment and in fresh air for more than an hour. He has been diagnosed with brain damage as shown on MRI studies. The damage includes bilateral damage to the white matter, the globus pallidus, the putamen, and the hippocampus. Schuster represents the child together with Gary L. Shockey, J.N. Murdock, Cody Balzer, and local Chicago counsel, William Warmouth.