As a San Diego mold attorney, I know there is a lot of information out there about the health effects of mold and who is most likely to be effected. Most of it, we must say, is poor information. So-called toxic mold can effect you in a number of ways:

• Mold can have toxic effects due to mycotoxins
• Mold spores can have an irritant effect
• Mold lets off gases that have an irritant effect

When clients call a San Diego mold attorney for legal counsel, they usually have suffered from allergic type symptoms. People who suffer from allergies are most likely going to have significant reactions when exposed to mold, fungus or volatile organic compounds. So, it goes without saying that people with allergies (especially to mold and dust mites) need to avoid mold infested environments.

Also, some people might not even know they are allergic to mold or dust mites.  Many people might just believe they have hay fever or are allergic to something else.

As a very general rule, based on my experience as a San Diego mold attorney, there are three classes of people that have to be especially careful of mold and dust mite exposure:

• The very young
• The elderly
• Those with compromised immune systems.

The reason these individuals are more at risk is because they are more likely to have severe long-term problems. You see, the majority of people return to their baseline (ie get better) within a short time after leaving the infected environment. The people listed above are generally the only people we see, as San Diego mold attorneys, who have the potential for life-long damage.

If you or someone you love has been exposed to mold, dust mites or volatile organic compounds you need a San Diego mold attorney that will fight the insurance company. Call our office today at 619.615.0767 for a free, no-hassle consultation or send us an email with the specifics of your case.

Our San Diego mold lawyers are proud to serve all of Southern California.

As a San Diego mold lawyer, I can tell you that a lot has been written about “toxic mold” and “black mold.” In this post I wanted to discuss some of the dangers of so-called “toxic mold.” Now, Stachybotrys is the species of mold that everyone generally knows to be toxic or “black mold.” Stachybotrys can release very serious toxins into that air that, once inhaled, can cause a myriad of health problems.

But, one of the most important things to understand is that black mold is not the only type of mold that can injure you and toxins are not the only source of harm. Your San Diego mold lawyer should be able to discuss with you your specific situation and provide you with all your options.

Next, don’t think that you need a flood or natural disaster in order to have mold in your home. A lot of press has been given to the recent, tragic storms in the Midwest and the likelihood of severe mold growth. But, mold only needs a little bit of water to grow and you only need a little bit of mold to make you ill.

Further, the best thing you can do is prevent mold before it starts. This involves identifying and correcting water damage or water intrusion as soon as possible. Cutting off the water source will cut-off new mold growth. The sooner you stop the source of the moisture problem the easier it will be to abate the mold intrusion.

When you are faced with personal injury and property damage you need the best mold lawyer on your side. Don’t leave your case to just any San Diego mold lawyer. Call our office today at 619.615.0767 or contact us by email. Our San Diego County mold lawyers will do everything in their power to get you the compensation you deserve.

Our San Diego mold attorneys are proud to serve all of San Diego county including the following areas: Alpine, Bonita, Camp Pendleton, Cardiff by the Sea, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, Downtown, Eastlake, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, Vista

Stachybotrys – is generally green or black and is the most famous of the so-called toxic molds. Stachybotrys is considered an indoor mold and is very rarely found in outdoor baseline samples. It is our belief that exposure to stachybotrys can have real and consequential effects on human health especially children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. As a San Diego mold lawyer, I see real life cases every single day.

Chaetomium – is commonly found in indoor environments. Chaetomium can act as what is known as a marker for Stachybotrys. This is because Stachybotrys is one of the most difficult molds to detect and will often be recognized in testing as Chaetomium. This species of mold produces relatively large, black spores which settle quickly. They do not stay in the air as long as other mold species. This is not to say that even a small does cannot be harmful. See our post here.

Penicillium/Aspergillus – are the two most common mold species found in indoor environments but that can also be very dangerous to your respiratory health. Aspergillus, in particular, release rather small spores which can bury themselves in your lungs making it difficult for the body’s natural defenses to expel them.

If you have experienced any of the following symptoms, in conjunction with severe water damage in your home or rental, I would encourage you to call a San Diego mold lawyer as well as have your property tested by an industrial hygienist.

     Coughing

     Headaches

     Dizziness

     Brain Fog

     Runny Nose and Watery Eyes

     Memory Loss

     Gastrointestinal Problems

     Bloody Noses

     Rashes

     Allergies To Thing Not Allergic To Before

     Hair Loss

     Constant Flu-Like Symptoms

We at the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson are San Diego Mold Lawyers who will vigorously fight against the insurance companies to make sure you get the compensation your deserve. If you believe that you or someone you know has been effected by toxic mold call a San Diego County Mold Lawyer that will fight for your rights. Call us TODAY at 619.615.0767 or visit our website www.ThompsonLawSD.com

As mold lawyers, the majority of our clients come to us after having experienced a flood in either their home or rental unit. As experienced mold lawyers, we usually endeavor to provide them with a clear plan on how to avoid mold after a flood.

First, how to you know what to look for? Indoor fungus that has recently grown generally looks black or green. Sometimes we have seen purple or orange depending the subspecies. When mold begins to dry out, or become dormant, it can either remain black or turn a powdery white.

Mold lawyers will tell you that mold can grow within 24 hours but it cannot grow if moisture levels are kept low and the temperature is also kept low. Open windows and doors for awhile if you live in a dry climate. Otherwise, you might want to get a dehumidifier in order to retard the growth of mold.

Move any objects you believe to be infested with fungus to an outdoor or isolated area. Small items that have mold can actually be frozen until it is time to clean them. Once you are sure all moldy items have been removed from the room you may then, and only then, increase the circulation. You don’t want toxic mold being blown all over the room.

Clients always ask mold lawyers what they should do with contaminated items. First, you have to make sure anything this is water damaged is dry. Mold will continue to germinate on all wet items. You may attempt to clean hard-surfaced (non-porous) items outside but be sure to wear a respirator and gloves. Coming in contact, whether by skin, mouth or eyes, with mold spores can be very dangerous to your health. Mold lawyers often encounter situations where the source of the mold is not remediated so you need to continually check your items for new growth.

We at the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson are La Jolla Mold Lawyers who will vigorously fight against the insurance companies to make sure you get the compensation your deserve. If you believe that you or someone you know has been effected by toxic mold call a San Diego County Mold Lawyer that will fight for your rights. Call us TODAY at 619.615.0767 or visit our website www.ThompsonLawSD.com

In this article we are going to focus on the VOCs. In mold, we classify these as microbial. Any organism that metabolizes lets off an volatile organic compound. When the metabolite is emitted into the air it can produce quite pungent and unpleasant odors. Studies have found an association between exposure to microbial volatile organic compounds and eye irritation, upper respiratory symptoms, allergy and persistent cold. There have also been links to headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nasal irritation and nausea. There are difficulties in determining the levels of mVOCs in rental unit but it is generally understood that the smell of a musty odor is indication of mVOCs in the air.

This musty smell, or mVOC, is often overlooked as a potential health threat. Common volatile organic compounds are benzene, ketone and formaldehyde. When these compounds come from mold we stick an “m” in front and call them “microbial.” Many people are deceived by mold tests, in particular, air sampling. Air sampling only tells you the spore count in the air. If the spore count is low, most people assume that they are not being effected by mold. To the contrary, if you are smelling strong musty odors than you are most definitely being effected by mold.

We at the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson are Clairemont Mold Lawyers who will vigorously fight against the insurance companies to make sure you get the compensation your deserve. If you believe that you or someone you know has been effected by toxic mold call a San Diego County Mold Lawyer that will fight for your rights. Call us TODAY at 619.615.0767 or visit our website www.ThompsonLawSD.com

Josephine Chesson and several other employees of the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church in Columbia, Md., filed workers’ compensation claims, blaming various illnesses on mold exposure and fungus discovered in a wall cavity at their offices in November 2002.

Shoemaker was initially contacted by church authorities and asked to screen, and possibly treat, employees after aspergillus and stachybotrys mold species were identified in the building.

The claimants argued that a Frye-Reed hearing was unnecessary as Shoemaker would testify as a treating physician.

Howard County Circuit Judge Daniel Moylan agreed, and declined to order an admissibility hearing.

“We’re talking about a board-certified physician, who has devoted, apparently, in the last five or six years, more than fifty percent of his time to this area [mold] of specialty, and I’m satisfied that this is not a Frye-Reed situation, it’s ‘diagnosis by a medical practitioner . . . ,’” Judge Moylan said in a transcript.

“And while they have not adopted, or adapted his publications, and things that he has developed; he’s published widely in his field, he’s gone to law school, and consulted, and he’s indicated he’s worked with a number of other doctors in this area [mold exposure]; I’m satisfied that he’s qualified to render opinions in this area, and his opinions would be admissible in the things you mentioned that go to their weight, rather than their admissibility,” the judge concluded.

The carrier then appealed to Maryland’s high court, which ruled in May 2007 that the trial court abused its discretion in declining to hold an admissibility hearing before allowing Shoemaker’s testimony, and remanded for the sole purpose of holding a Frye-Reed hearing.

On remand to the Circuit Court, the parties agreed that evidence supported links between mold and respiratory illness, so the issue considered at the hearing was whether the relevant medical community accepts links between mold and cognitive and musculoskeletal injuries, and whether that community accepts Shoemaker’s diagnostic methods.

In ruling that Shoemaker’s methods meet the Frye-Reed criteria, Judge Moylan offered an extensive review of Shoemaker’s treatment of patients exposed to mold or water-damaged buildings, including the physicians use of cholestyramine.

The judge also described Shoemaker’s two-tier protocol, under which it is determined that patients “have the potential for exposure to a water damaged building or buildings [with mold], and the absence of any untreated and uncontrolled medical illnesses or conditions what could be a confounder” (Tier One).

A “Tier Two” analysis includes blood tests and other diagnostic tests among six criteria, the judge explained.

Judge Moylan also noted that “No United States government agency or organization has yet established a standard to determine a safe range or a dangerous range of indoor mold levels. In Canada, there is no standard either, yet the established practice is that if there is visible mold, mold odors, or if the occupants are getting sick, then the premises should be vacated and remediation undertaken.”

The admissibility of experts to prove causation in cases of water-damaged buildings is one of first impression in Maryland, and decisions from other jurisdictions are instructive, Judge Moylan said. Mold lawyers in San Diego should pay close attention to the reasoning of Judge Moylan and utilize these against defense mold lawyers.

We at the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson are Encinitas Mold Lawyers who will vigorously fight against the insurance companies to make sure you get the compensation your deserve. If you believe that you or someone you know has been effected by toxic mold call a North County San Diego Mold Lawyer that will fight for your rights. Call us TODAY at 619.615.0767 or visit our website www.ThompsonLawSD.com

One of the tell-tale signs of mold exposure is if your entire family becomes sick at one time yet you all feel better when you are outside the home. If this is the case you might have a plumbing leak or roof leak that has caused water damage which in turn has led to the growth of toxic mold. Another scenario is if you have a faulty HVAC system which is dispersing mold spores, in a closed environment, while the heat is being run 24/7.

Even though it might be cold outside, with your heater running inside, you have created the perfect environment for mold to grow. Do not think that just because it is winter that mold cannot grow. Mold does not know the seasons. With the heater running you are spreading mold throughout the house like wildfire.

If you believe that you have suffered symptoms due to mold exposure, call a professional to have the property tested for fungus. Then, call the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson for a free case evaluation or visit us at our website at www.ThompsonLawSd.com

The lawsuit is not saying that all the mattresses will have mold, but the suit does indicate that the defect creates the perfect environment for mold to grow. In other words, under the right conditions mold will likely grow in the mattresses.

The lawsuit does not specify the amount of damage the plaintiffs are seeking.

Select Comfort Corporation denies any wrongdoing. They say that defect is not, in fact, a defect but rather just inherent in all upholstered furniture. Select Comfort says that the Plaintiffs can provided no evidence that this defect has anything to do with the design rather that fabric.

If you believe that you own one of the Sleep Number mattresses we invite you to call our office for a free case evaluation. 619.615.0767

During the clean-up, city workers noticed mold growing on the insider of the walls. They also found mold that had clearly been there prior to the flood.

This is not the first time the Board of Equalization building has experienced issues with mold. In fact, the top three floors of the building have been vacated for more than a year because of toxic mold. Also, about a year before, a pipe burst on the 11th floor.

The City believes that the remediation will be complete in one week.

If you suspect that your workplace has been infected with mold, call the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson today for a fee case evaluation. 619.615.0767

The Brown family, which included their two year old daughter, had just purchased a foreclosed, five-bedroom home, in the Appalachian Mountains. They began renovations on the home. While removing one of the old book cases, Kerri and her father discovered a passage-way leading to a hidden room. Outside the room was a note reading “You Found It.” The remainder of the note indicated the author was a previous owner who had severe exposure to toxic mold which forced the family to move-out.

The Browns immediately had an environmental engineer take air quality samples of the room. The results revealed high levels of three specific types of mold: Stachybotrys, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. All three types of mold are very common in damp indoor environments as well as being harmful to human health.

The author of the note, George Leventis, claims he informed his broker as well as the mortgage company about the existence of this mold infested room, but none of his communications was ever returned.

As for the Browns, they have moved out of the house and are now renting. They have sued the broker and home loan corporation under the theory that they knew about the moldy conditions but failed to disclose.

Fannie Mae agreed to buy back the home and was dismissed from the lawsuit. The broker, Sue Bakx, claimed to have knowledge of the voicemail but questioned its veracity. She entered into a confidential settlement with the Browns but claims no knowledge of mold.

If you or someone you know has been effected by a situation similar to the Browns, call the Law Office of Harold D. Thompson for your free mold evaluation.