We all know the death is a part of living for everyone on the planet. Though not always an easy thing to accept, when a death is due to natural causes, eventually most are able to reconcile the loss of a loved one. This task becomes more difficult when someone’s death is sudden and preventable. The family of a 77-year-old Pittsburgh woman is all too aware of this.

The woman lost her life several months ago as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The incident occurred at her apartment, which she had obtained with the assistance of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. The carbon monoxide poisoning was caused by the use of the stove found in the kitchen. The woman’s family claims that the apartment was not vented properly allowing the poison to accumulate and ultimately kill her. At the time of her death, the woman had only been living there for approximately two weeks.

The family of the woman sued the Westmoreland County Housing Authority for wrongful death alleging that it set her up in a home that was dangerous. Specifically they cite to the fact that the door that was tightly fit and windows in the unit that could not be opened contributed to her demise. In addition, they assert that carbon monoxide detectors, which would have signaled that there was a problem, were not found on the property.

There is nothing that can be done to bring the woman who died back to life. In addition to hopefully securing financial damages, the lawsuit may prevent a senseless incident like this from occurring in the future.

Source: Trib Live, “Family of poisoned woman blames Westmoreland County Housing Authority,” Rich Cholodofsky, June 21, 2013