Mentor Family Sues Heating Company Because Of Alleged CO Poisoning

A Mentor family has filed a lawsuit against a heating and cooling company in the cirt after, they claim, its faulty installation of a furnace caused them to get carbon monoxide poisoning.

Denise, Patrick and Kathleen Eustace had attorneys Paul Grieco and Tom Merriman file a lawsuit against Anderson Heating & Cooling Inc. Friday in Lake County Court of Common Pleas. It has been assigned to Judge Eugene Lucci.

According to the suit:

• Anderson sold a furnace to the Eustaces and installed it in their home on Feb. 22, 2011.
• However, the furnace was not properly installed and "high levels of carbon monoxide" were leaked into the home.
• Later that month, the Eustaces noticed water leaking from the furnace. Anderson returned and inspected the furnace. He found the cause of the water leak but did not realize the furnace was also leaking carbon monoxide.
• "At this point, Anderson should have recognized that the furnace was leaking carbon monoxide," the suit claims. "Anderson should have warned the Eustace family of this leakage of harmful gas. But Anderson failed even to appreciate that carbon monoxide was leaking from the furnace."
• In ensuing weeks, Denise Eustace suffered headaches, nausea, fatigue, memory loss, confusion and twitching of her facial muscles on a daily basis.
• On March 2, 2011, a building inspector from the city of Mentor inspected the furnance and smelled natural gas. He reported this to Anderson and Anderson again checked the furnace. Once more, Anderson told the Eustaces that the furnace was operating properly.
• A week later, Anderson installed a cap on the furnace's air intake box. At the time, he noticed the carbon monoxide level in the furnace flue was high. However, he did not tell the Eustaces.
• For the rest of the month, Anderson continued to make repairs on the furnace but he was unable to stabilize the gas pressure. He also did not tell the Eustaces about any carbon monoxide in their home.
• On March 31, 2011, Denise Eustace went to Lake Health Medical Center where she was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. Patrick and Kathleen Eustace have also suffered chronic physical symptoms caused by exposure, according to the suit.
• Denise Eustace was diagnosed as having toxic metabolic encephalopathy, which is a permanent brain injury, that the Eustaces say was caused by carbon monoxide.

The Eustaces claim that Anderson was negligent and reckless. They have asked for a jury trial and more than $150,000 in damages, as well as court fees and legal expenses.