Mold infestations in commercial properties can cause a host of headaches for business owners. Not only does it affect structural integrity, but it can also destroy personal property. When employees and customers are exposed, it can also cause legal troubles. Restore Pro has helped plenty of business owners with mold remediation, so here’s how our inspections protect you.
What Is Mold?
Mold is fungi that also includes mildew, yeast, and mushrooms. It will be found both indoors and outdoors. Mold spores also require the presence of oxygen and moisture sources to cultivate. Spore counts may be in the thousands or millions, depending on the extent of a mold infestation.
The presence of toxic mold is what is a major factor in mold-related lawsuits. Although mold is not toxic, some mold types can yield toxins that cause serious health conditions and loss of life. Most lawsuits include injuries such as weakened immunity, respiratory, or allergy conditions.
Mold Lawsuit Examples:
In 2001, Ron Allison and Melinda Ballard won a $32 million judgment against Farmers Insurance Group (later reduced to $4 million on an appeal) because of water and mold damage.
In 2013, Broward County Courthouse paid $166,500 to a Florida prosecutor after mold exposure caused sinus issues. Later, another nineteen employees filed mold-related lawsuits for exposure.
In 2017, Baxter Healthcare Corp paid $2.158 million (plus $16 million in penalties) for disregarding an employee’s warnings about finding mold in the air filters. This company manufactured sterile products, yet no actual injuries were related to the final settlement.
Business Liability
Business owners are often sued by workers, customers, or tenants for negligence, failure to disclose, and breach of warranty. In addition to financial penalties, a judge or jury may calculate losses such as injuries, medical expenses, time off from work, and mold remediation costs.
As buildings must legally be fit for habitation, some business types are more vulnerable to lawsuits than others. We highly recommend that architects, construction contractors, engineers, insurance carriers, landlords, and maintenance companies invest in mold project inspections.
How Much Does Mold Testing Cost?
There are a lot of variables that affect mold testing. The average cost for a mold inspection is $400 and mold testing is $649. Considering the average payout is in the millions, it is a small fee to pay for occupant health and safety. Inspections take between two and six hours to complete.
While companies can buy DIY mold test kits, results are often unreliable. Moreover, if you are facing a mold-related lawsuit, you will want the mold-testing inspection on record from a reputable mold remediation company like Restore Pro. Testing procedures are also critical.
Restore Pro provides thorough mold inspection, including the foundation, drywall, walls, HVAC, the ventilation system, windows, crawl spaces, the attic, the basement, and heating sources such as a fireplace and chimney. In the cases where mold is found, we can perform mold remediation.
Mold prevention, inspection, and remediation are the most effective methods for mold. To learn more, call us at 1-800-847-0114 or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RestorePro911/.
