1. Take Pictures

You need to take pictures of anything that even remotely looks like mold. You will also want to take pictures of water damaged areas. When taking the pictures, make sure to take two of each. One that is a close-up and another that gives a perspective of the location. Also photograph any items of personal property that have been damaged by mold or fungus.

2. Make An Inventory

Document all the items of personal property that have been damaged and what you believe the current values to be. Also write down any out of pocket expenses such a moving costs, hotel bills, cleaning costs etc..

3. Have The Property Tested

It is extremely important to verify the type and levels of mold in your home. We recommend you undertake ALL of the following for complete results.

Air Sampling – this provides a picture of what the air looks like in your room at the given moment in time. It can also identify the type of mold in the air, if any.

Swab Sampling – even if there is no mold in the air at that given time you may still have a mold problem. Swab sampling finds out the type of mold and its concentration on porous and semi-porous materials.

Dust Sampling – lastly, and was is becoming most important, is dust sampling. This is a do-it-yourself test that is shipped to a lab. You vacuum a sample from your carpet or flooring and send it to a lab. I would highly encourage people to undertake this test. http://moldinspectionkit.com/interpret.asp

4. Seek Medical Advice

Allergy/Immunology – you need to get tested to see if you are allergic to mold and/or dust mites.

Blood Testing – blood testing can reveal certain allergies to mold as well as certain mycotoxins in the blood.  http://www.realtimelab.com

VCS Testing – this is an inexpensive way to see if exposure to toxins is effecting you neurologically. http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com

Neuro-Psychology – if you are experiences cognitive issues after exposure to mold such as ADD, brain fog, memory loss and chronic fatigue you see a qualified professional to examine your brain and see how it has been effected by the mold exposure.

5. Document All Communications

Wether you are communicating with a landlord, HOA, property manager or real estate agent, you want to get everything in WRITING. If you speak with a neighbor or another witness go inside the house and write down what that person said noting the date and time. All communications giving the responsible party notice of mold and/or water damage MUST be in writing.

6. Call An Experienced Mold Attorney

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 San Diego Mold Lawyers, we are proud to serve the following areas in San Diego: 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

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

Mold Inspector

If you anticipate proceeding with litigation against a responsible party, the person you have do the mold testing is as important as anything else because that person will probably be called upon to testify on your behalf. A Certified Industrial Hygienist (“CIH”) is the ideal person to do mold inspections. A CIH has studied and passed examination in a number of disciplines giving he/she superior knowledge in the area indoor environmental controls. The downside is that a CIH is generally very expensive.

We usually recommend a Certified Mold Inspector for our clients as there is a good balance between the quality of the report and the price.

As La Jolla Mold Attorneys, we can recommend you to high quality vendors to suit your needs.

Mold Report

Depending on who you go to, once you get your mold report back, you might not know how to interpret the results. First, we look at the indoor samples vs. the outdoor samples. Generally, if the indoor sample is not at least 2-3 times as high as the outdoor sample than an indoor source may be difficult to determine. Second, we look at the species of mold identified. Certain types of mold will only grow inside and vice versa. If we see a large quantity of one type inside but that same species not present outside, it is easy to determine the indoor source.

These are just two of the factors to consider when evaluating a case of fungal exposure in La Jolla, California.

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 Mold Lawyer that will fight for your rights. Call us TODAY at 619.615.0767 or visit our website www.ThompsonLawSD.com