In a press release (note: story at link no longer available as of July 22, 2005), plaintiff's lawyers have announced their firm has obtained a $925,000 verdict on behalf of a Michigan apartment renter who suffered severe asthma attacks as a result of her exposure to toxic mold.
The jury hearing the case received evidence that there was ongoing water leakage in the apartment, with mold persisting on walls and ceilings. The evidence apparently indicated that the situation was aggravated by the landlord's cavalier attitude in dealing with the renter's complaints.
Recent scientific commentary has, rightly or wrongly, questioned whether mold causes debilitating disease. Even such commentary, however, has generally acknowledged that exposure to certain types of mold can cause allergic reactions, including asthma.
This Michigan case is interesting, because the case suggests that a plaintiff can mount a successful claim based on the presence of an allergic reaction without wading into the more muddled science surrounding allegedly mold-caused debilitating diseases.
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