Parents File Suit Against Hotel in Death of Athlete : Litigation: A settlement in ‘millions’ of dollars is sought in the case of a Canadian volleyball player and his injured teammate. They were poisoned by fumes at the Mission Valley Inn.

A lawsuit asking for “millions” has been filed against Atlas Hotels and the Mission Valley Inn by the parents of a Canadian volleyball player who died of carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from a faulty wall heater.

The lawsuit was filed March 28 in Superior Court by the parents of Cory Louis Korosi, 21, and Korosi’s teammate, Henry Wong, 20, who was seriously injured in the incident, said San Diego attorney R. Christian Hulburt Wednesday. Korosi and Wong were members of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology men’s volleyball team.

Both men were sharing Room 329 at the Mission Valley Inn, owned by Atlas Hotels, where they were discovered on New Year’s Day having suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. Korosi was dead; Wong was in bed, unconscious.

City safety inspectors attributed the the poisoning to a dirty wall heater. A subsequent inspection by officials from the city’s Building Inspection Department and SDG&E; found 36 malfunctioning heaters at the 210-room hotel. The hotel was also cited by the city for having inoperative smoke alarms, most of which needed batteries.

The hotel was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by the district attorney’s office.

Hulburt said the hotel “was clearly liable” for Korosi’s death and Wong’s injuries.

“We’re alleging negligence. . . . Clearly, the injuries were caused by the heating unit in the hotel room,” Hulburt said. “It was in fact defective, and that allowed it to emit carbon monoxide gas. The heater was not maintained or cleaned regularly.”

Atlas Vice President Hank Hoxie confirmed that the hotel had been served with the lawsuit, but declined to comment.

The lawsuit doesn’t seek a specific amount in damages, but Hulburt said he and attorney Vincent Bartolotta hoped to collect millions on behalf of the Korosis and Wong. He said the attorneys also hope to collect punitive damages by showing “a pattern of conscious disregard for the safety of their customers” by the hotel.

“It’s certainly our expectation that the total value of the case is in the millions,” Hulburt said.

He said medical experts are still trying to determine the extent of Wong’s injuries. Carbon monoxide poisoning deprives the brain and nervous system of oxygen, and often is followed by physical coordination problems.

Wong, who was found unconscious, lapsed into a six-day coma. Initially, doctors were not optimistic that he would live, Hulburt said. When Wong came out of the coma, doctors feared that he was going to experience severe brain damage.

A magnetic resonance image brain scan found some damage to the part of the brain that integrates motor function. Hulburt said Wong has not recovered fully from his injuries but is back at school.

“He was an excellent student and athlete before this. It is unlikely that he will ever be at that same level again. He is taking a reduced load of classes, but he is unable to play volleyball,” the attorney said.

The case has been assigned to Superior Court Judge James R. Milliken, but a trial date has not been set. Hulburt said he will ask for a jury trial.

Atlas Hotels also owns the Town & Country Hotel & Convention Center, the King’s Inn and the Hanalei Hotel.