Supreme Court orders hotel to pay 80 million pesos over fatal carbon monoxide poisoning

Chile's Supreme Court has mandated an 80 million peso compensation payment for moral damages to the mother and son of a guest who died from carbon monoxide inhalation at the Hotel Ruiz in Angol in June 2018. The unanimous decision by the court's First Chamber overturned a previous ruling by the Temuco Court of Appeals, which had initially dismissed the claim.

The deceased guest, Andredith Oliver Sureda Mujica, was found to have died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Official records, including the Medical Certificate of Death and Fetal Mortality Statistics, confirmed the cause of death occurred within the Hotel Ruiz.

The Supreme Court's ruling specifically noted that the gas heater used in the guest's room was inappropriate for a confined space like the bedroom. This faulty equipment was identified as the direct cause of the fatal accident, leading to the court's decision to award damages to the victim's family.