8 suits filed against South Charleston hotel for carbon monoxide - WOWK 13 Charleston, Huntington WV News, Weather, Sports

8 suits filed against South Charleston hotel for carbon monoxide leak

Eight lawsuits have been filed against a South Charleston Holiday Inn Express hotel after a Jan. 31 carbon monoxide leak.

Five lawsuits were filed late last month in Kanawha County Circuit Court against Pikes Inc; Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites and general manager Manisha Patel; Premier Pools LLC and employees Steve Combs and Karen Combs; JP Mechanical Inc, Holiday Hospitality Franchising Inc and Six Continents Hotel.

Four West Virginians — Isaac Croy, Emmett Williams, Craig Reed and Terry Harvey — and two Wisconsin residents — Dale Rosenbrook and Susan Rosenbrook — filed the five suits.

All were guests at the Holiday Inn Express in the Southridge commercial area of South Charleston when carbon monoxide allegedly leaked into their rooms.

The suits allege the hotel's swimming pool heater was not functioning properly and was emitting carbon monoxide before Jan. 31. The six plaintiffs allege Patel, Pikes Inc., Six Continents and Holiday Inn Hospitality Franchising should have known about the problems with the pool heater.

The suits also assert Premier Pools and the Combs failed to properly repair the pool heater and the ventilation system for the heater.

As a result, the suits allege, carbon monoxide leaked into several rooms in the hotel.

Plaintiffs seek compensatory damages, general damages, monetary loss, medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of consortium and punitive damages.

Three other suits were filed earlier this year. One was filed by Louise J. Moran on behalf of her husband, William Moran, who died at the hotel. Others were filed by Shirley and Toney Linn and Bain and Dawn Edmondson.

Louise Moran filed the lawsuit March 14 following her husband's death. Both Bain Edmondson and William Moran stayed at the hotel while they were working on a hangar for the West Virginia Air National Guard at Yeager Airport. Moran died Jan. 31 in his hotel room after carbon monoxide leaked into his room and several others.

The Edmondson suit, which was filed April 4, alleges Bain Edmondson was found in his hotel room unresponsive and seizing. Bain Edmondson asserts he spent several days in a coma at Charleston Area Medical Center and later was diagnosed with severe anxiety, depression and potential memory loss.

The Edmondson lawsuit also alleges other injuries including neuronal cell death from carbon monoxide poisoning, cognitive impairment, pulmonary damage, cardiac damage, pain and suffering, short and long-term mental and emotional distress, unnecessary medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, lost income from his job and loss of consortium.

Approximately 16 other people, including emergency personnel, were hospitalized Jan. 31, according to previous media reports.

The Edmondson's suit alleges JP Mechanical dislodged a vent pipe heater during the repair. All three of the earlier suits alleged the Combses further dislodged the vent pipe when they replaced the heater.

These earlier suits also assert the swimming pool heater emitted carbon monoxide gas in certain hotel rooms before the Jan. 31 leak.