Toxic Mold Help!

By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Reports on Cause of Pet Deaths

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:04:56 -0400

ALBANY, N.Y. - Rat poison was found in the pet food suspected of causing kidney failure that killed at least 16 cats and dogs, but scientists still don't know how it got there, state officials said Friday.

Saul Hansell, New York Times 3/19/07 Reports on Pet Food Mold

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:25:19 -0400

Pet Food Is Recalled After Link to Animal Deaths: "More than 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food sold under dozens of brand names were recalled on Saturday after being linked to the deaths of 10 animals. The food was manufactured by Menu Foods, of Streetsville, Ontario, which makes wet food sold as store brands for companies like Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway. The company also makes food on behalf of many brand-name pet food makers. Menu Foods said it had recalled some food made for the Iams unit of Procter & Gamble. Two other pet food companies - Nestlé Purina PetCare and Hills Pet Nutrition, the unit of Colgate-Palmolive that makes the Science Diet brand - recalled some of their products that were made by Menu Foods."

Lavonne Kuykendall, Wall Street Journal 3/20/07 Reports on Damage from Katrina

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:21:55 -0400

More Katrina Payouts Promised: "State Farm Insurance Co. agreed to reopen coastal claims in Mississippi related to Hurricane Katrina with a guarantee the property insurer will pay out at least $50 million in additional settlements, the state's insurance commissioner said. Separately, Allstate Corp. said it reached an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Insurance to contact about 4,000 customers in that state who received cancellation notices after the Northbrook, Ill., insurer inspected the homes late last year and found some in disrepair or uninhabited."

Lynne Duke, Washington Post 3/20/07 Reports on Contaminated Water

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:20:06 -0400

"Sheila Holt-Orsted sits on the edge of a sofa in her mother's living room, digging through the large translucent plastic bins arrayed at her feet. The Holt family's fight is in there -- the contaminated water, the cancers, the allegations of racism, the lawsuit. A family's seeming devastation, documented in those bins. Papers are everywhere, spilling onto the sofa, the floor. Holt-Orsted, 45, burrows in deep. But the document she's looking for can't be found. 'It might be in my bed,' she says in a voice always verging toward laughter, and she trots off to check. Her mom, Beatrice Holt, 61, just shakes her head. 'I'd wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and she'd be in there writing something,' Mrs. Holt says. 'I worry about her, because she has breast cancer and stress is not good. I worry about her cancer coming back.' Holt-Orsted's father, Harry, had cancer too, and died of it in January at 67 after it grew in his prostate and his bones."

Where/How to Look For Mold

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:00:00 -0400

VISUAL SIGNS

Velvety, granular, cottony, leathery

Varied colors (black gray, pink, white, brown, yellow, green, fluorescent)

Areas of water leakage

Heating and cooling systems

Noticeable musty odors

How Does Mold Grow?

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:56:32 -0400

MOISTURE

Relative humidity over 60%

Standing water (24 hours) NUTRIENTS mTEMPERATURE

68°–86° F (20°–30° C)

What are the theories of Liability in Mold Litigation?

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:17:20 -0400

Legal Theories:

Negligence

Breach of Contract

Breach of Warranty

Consumer Fraud

Insurance Coverage (Mold Exclusions) Property Damage

Repairs/Remediation Costs

Personal Property

Diminution in Value

Loss of Use Personal Injury

Pain and Suffering

Medical Monitoring

Lost Income

Sources of Moisture That Help Mold Grow

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:58:36 -0400

Where there’s MOISTURE

Roofing leaks

Walls

Flooding

Piping leaks

Condensation

Appliances

Overwatering plants

Plumbing fixtures

What is Mold

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:54:57 -0400

Microscopic organism

Reproduces quickly

Colonies of mold will develop in 1-12 DAYS after activation

Made to survive

What does Toxic Mold Litigation Involve?

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:11:04 -0400

Water damage causes Toxic Mold. The impact of mold on people and property is now confirmed in scientific studies. The effects of mold injuries were not, until recently, studied. Now there is ample evidence which provides the proximate cause necessary to establish personal injury and property damage. Recent research shows toxic mold exposure through contact, inhalation, or ingestionresults in mold allergies and/or toxicity. Those who are most susceptible are anyone with an immune system that is comprimised, including children whose immune systems have not yet fully developed.