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Carbon monoxide poisoning is the suspected cause in the death of 76-year-old Dayle Haddon, a Canadian supermodel best known for being the face of the makeup brand L’Oréal.
Haddon died Friday at the Solebury Township, Pennsylvania home of her actor son-in-law, Marc Blucas. She had been staying in a carriage house with Blucas’ 76-year-old father who remains in critical condition at the hospital, according to reporting from The New York Post. Both had been visiting their children for the holidays.
Emergency responders were called out to Blucas’ property around 6:30 a.m. after they were told a man was lying unconscious on the first floor or the carriage house. He was transported to the hospital before police learned Haddon was still inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
At least two emergency responders were also hospitalized due to exposure to the toxic gas and one other was treated at the scene with injuries. As of Saturday, all three were in stable condition, according to The Post.
Preliminary investigations by police show that the believed cause of the carbon monoxide leak was a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system.
In addition to her modeling work, Haddon was also featured in numerous films throughout the 1970s and 90s such as “North Dallas Forty” and “Bullets Over Broadway.” She was a UNICEF Ambassador and founded the WomenOne charity, which focuses on gender-equality within education for girls around the world.
Recent Incidents
Haddon’s tragic passing is a devastating one though her cause of death is not all that uncommon and displays the very real dangers of exposure to the colorless, odorless gas. Carbon monoxide can quickly bind to the hemoglobin in the blood, inhibiting the body’s ability to carry oxygen. Most people have no idea that they are breathing it in before it is too late. Common symptoms can include dizziness, nausea and/or headaches.
In numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that over 400 people die every year from accidental carbon monoxide exposure in the Untied States and it is the cause of over 2,000 hospitalizations annually. The majority of these incidents happen in the winter when people tend to use heating systems more frequently. The CDC predicts that installing carbon monoxide detectors in homes and public lodgings could prevent nearly half of these fatal incidents in the U.S.
On Christmas Day, four people were found dead at a vacation home in New Hampshire from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Police were asked by family members to do a welfare check on Matthew, Lyla, Valerie and Violet Goldstein when they did not show up for a planned family gathering for the holiday. The family – ages 52, 54, 22 and 19, respectively – was from Newton, Massachusetts, according to reporting from USA Today. The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier this month, at least a dozen people were found dead in a restaurant located at a Georgian ski resort located in The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. The suspected cause of the leak in that case was a power generator that had been placed inside the building with no ventilation near the bedrooms. All 12 were restaurant employees.
In August, two Broward County schools had incidents within two weeks of each other involving possible gas leaks.
The first incident happened at Cypress Bay High School and involved a carbon monoxide leak inside the school’s cafeteria. At least five people were hospitalized in that incident and the school was evacuated. The second occurred at Oriole Elementary School in which propane gas leaked inside the school’s cafeteria, prompting the hospitalization of at least one employee.
Over the summer at a West Miami condo, about 60 people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning with the cause being a water heater on the property, according to local news outlets. At least 22 people were transported to local hospitals.
Common causes of carbon monoxide leaks can be fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, gas stoves and/or fireplaces.
Leesfield & Partners: Protecting Victims Against Carbon Monoxide
Leesfield & Partners has a long history of representing victims of carbon monoxide poisoning with the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, playing a key role in the passing or protective laws involving the toxic gas. Senate Bill 1822 requires certain public lodging establishments to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in buildings that were constructed after a certain date. These detectors must be installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room.
This made Florida among the first in the United States to pass such a law. While there had been laws requiring private residences in some states to come equipped with these detectors, SB 1822 was among the first to address this issue within public accommodations. Thanks to the involvement of Leesfield & Partners and other advocacy groups, the issue of carbon monoxide and its lethal effects was highlighted, making it a primary concern for lawmakers who passed this legislation to protect the public.
Mr. Leesfield’s involvement with the legislation came after he took on a case of carbon monoxide poisoning that impacted over 20 people on vacation at a Key West hotel. This came just a week before the carbon monoxide poisoning death of a 26-year-old man at the same hotel. The man’s family was represented by Leesfield & Partners.
Previous Cases
In addition to advocating for the passage of protective legislation, Leesfield & Partners has successfully litigated numerous cases involving carbon monoxide poisoning, explosions and other toxic fumes that has seriously injured clients.
One such case involves an over $11 million recovery for a woman exposed to carbon monoxide while at a resort in the Bahamas.
While representing an Iowa family exposed to carbon monoxide while staying at a Key west hotel, Leesfield & Partners attorneys obtained a $1.4 million settlement for the family. Luckily, in that case, the family was able to call for emergency services before passing out from breathing in the poisonous gas.
A student who was visiting a college campus and staying at an accommodation owned by the university had to be hospitalized after being exposed to carbon monoxide as the student slept. In an investigation, attorneys found that there was over 200 ppm inside the house. The maximum carbon monoxide level that is considered “safe” while indoors is 9 ppm over eight hours, according to gas measurement specialists. The cause of the leak in that case was found to be an exhaust pipe in from the house’s furnace.
A confidential settlement was reached in that case.
“Every casualty from carbon monoxide poisoning has been unnecessary,” Mr. Leesfield said. “We have successfully represented numerous victims of carbon monoxide poisoning for 48 years and fought hard for the passage of Senate Bill 1822.”
