On September 2, 2011, a St. Louis City Circuit Court jury awarded a St. Louis couple Seven Hundred Eighty-Six Thousand Dollars ($786,000.00) in actual and punitive damages for an improperly installed air conditioning unit that led to the development of mold. Their claim had been denied by the insurance company.
Kevin and Wendy Marquitz built a new house in the Franz Park neighborhood in 2008. After noticing small dots of mold near an air conditioning vent, they began an investigation. The HVAC contractor was initially but suspected but denied any culpability. Using expert witnesses, the plaintiffs were able to prove that the HVAC contractor had installed an air conditioning unit that was too large, and that the trunk line had been installed in the garage, which was not insulated or sealed from moisture.
Experts testified that once moisture entered the air conditioning line, the air conditioner basically became a mold generator, filling the house with poisonous and toxic mild.
The mold filled the house, and rendered the house uninhabitable. The house had so much mold that the mold could not be removed and basically the house was demolished. Even though the air conditioning contractor denied the misinstallation of the system, the jury rejected its position and found in favor of the plaintiffs.
The Marquitz verdict points out that homeowners can recover for damages done to their home and to their person from mold that is caused by construction defect. These cases oftentimes require medical, mechanical engineering, and other experts that the Meehan Law Firm can provide. The Meehan Law Firm has experience in handling mold damage cases, and their lawyers are available to consult with you should you need assistance. Please contact us for further information.