The tragic news out of Niles, Michigan, this past weekend is both shocking and inexcusable. The children were exposed to over 800 parts per million of carbon monoxide, which exceeds the permissible 35 parts per million industry standard. Authorities investigating the incident have discovered that the hotel’s exhaust ventilating system was failing. This is inexcusable. Michigan common law demands that premises owners use ordinary care so as to not endanger their invited guests. See, generally, Lugo v Ameritech Corp, 464 Mich 512 (2001). Routine and systematic testing and inspection of the exhaust system would most likely detect failure and prevent harm to guests. Choice Hotels, that owns the Quality Inn brand, has tremendous exposure for this horrible but apparently preventable occurrence.
Authored by L. Page Graves
