Carbon Monoxide Suit Settled for $575,000

By Monica Galvan

Published on May 29, 2007

Gary Lakey, a former construction worker, was allegedly exposed to the noxious gas while working on an addition to Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington, in 2002. The suit claimed that construction equipment running inside the building released harmful amounts of carbon monoxide, causing Lakey and his coworkers to fall ill after inhaling the fumes.

Lakey and his wife filed suit against the general contractor Spee West Construction Co., alleging that a scissor lift malfunction in an enclosed room released harmful amounts of carbon monoxide. Spee’s attorneys claimed that the building was properly ventilated, and that Lakey’s health issues were not caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Since the incident, which sent him to the hospital and to several doctors for treatment, Lakey has suffered from concentration and motor coordination problems as well as from bouts of fatigue. He was classified as disabled by the Department of Labor and Industries.

The settlement was reached after a week of trial in the Snohomish County Superior Court. The defendants may appeal the case in upcoming weeks.

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