Brain Injury Law Center

Toxic Molds

In the past few years, Americans have read and heard a great deal about chemical and biological weapons and the fear of these weapons falling into the hands of evil terrorists, who could use these weapons to wreak untold havoc on American society.

What many Americans don't know is that the microscopic ingredients that go into the making of weapons of mass destruction are already growing and infecting millions of homes across the nation. These fungus spores and toxins, known collectively as toxic molds, thrive in areas of a home that are susceptible to plumbing and water leaks, such as under the roof, in drop ceilings, in kitchens and bathrooms, and other dark and damp areas that are not easy to access or maintain. Once toxic molds take hold in a home, they secrete chemicals known as mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are mobile, and can spread into other areas of the home, infecting the lungs, brains and digestive tracts of humans. In some cases, daily exposure to mycotoxins has caused death, but more frequently chronic headaches, nosebleeds and respiratory problems occur.

Airborne contaminants are also a constant household hazard and facilitate the spread of mycotoxins throughout the home. Regular exposure to some contaminants, such as bacteria, pollen, yeast, fibrous insulation, and tobacco smoke, weaken the body and compound the long-term damage that mycotoxins can cause.

Toxic Mold Symptoms:

There are a host of telltale symptoms associated with toxic molds, many of which are often erroneously attributed to other factors, such as a change of season, allergies, physical conditioning or diet. Unfortunately, toxic molds are usually well entrenched in the home, and it takes more than a change in lifestyle to rid your home of them.

Some of the symptoms of toxic molds include asthma, head aches, ear and eye infections, congestion, frequent colds, respiratory infections, skin rashes and infections, Diarrhea, impotence, memory loss and hair loss.

And these are just symptoms. Years of exposure to many toxic molds increase the likelihood of contracting one or more of the following life-threatening diseases: Lupus, cancer, leukemia, fibromyalgia, tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, Epstein-Barr Virus, Legionnaire's Disease, neurological ailments, chronic fatigue syndrome, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (M.C.S.)

If you are concerned that you may have a toxic mold problem in your home, you should take steps to investigate the matter immediately through a thorough home inspection. If you discover your home is contaminated by toxic molds, you should also educate yourself further about actions you can take to combat and prevent toxic molds that threaten your health. There are several kinds of toxic molds, including aspergillus, fusarium, penicillium, and stachybotrys, with a wide range of adverse health consequences.

Toxic Molds: Who is responsible?

In recent years, civil courts across the country have begun to take the position that it is the responsibility of builders and contractors (and their insurance companies) to ensure that the homes and offices they build are toxic mold resistant, and are constructed to prevent any area of buildings from becoming a nesting ground for these deadly molds and spores. When builders fail to do this, they may answer for it in a court of law. Several landmark trials have been prosecuted in the past few years that attest to this, including rulings against municipalities, homeowners' associations, schools, builders and developers, public housing authorities, and makers of aerosols and aromatics, to name just a few.

The Brain Injury Law Center represent clients whose health has been compromised by the failure of these parties to prevent the origination and spread of toxic mold in the buildings they construct. If your home and the health of your family have been affected by toxic mold contamination, contact us for a free consultation about the legal recourse available to you.

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