COURTROOM NEWS from HarrisMartin's COLUMNS-Mold

Date:7January2009
Va. Jury Awards Family $4.75 Million for Illnesses Linked to Mold

LEESBURG,Va.AVirginiastatecourtjuryhasawarded$4.75millionforwhatacouple claimedweredebilitatingmold-relatedillnessescausedbyconstructiondefectsintheir$900,000 newhome.Meng v. The Drees Co.,No.46450(Vir.Cir.Ct.,LoudonCty.). TheLoudonCounty(Va.)CircuitCourtjurymadetheawardonDec.23afterfindingTheDrees Co.,whichbuiltthehomeforplaintiffsPaulandWendyMeng,guiltyofnegligenceand constructivefraud. TheMengscomplainedthattheysufferfromillnessesattributabletomold,andthatthemold resultedfromleaksbecauseofimproperwindowinstallationandDreesfailuretoprotect constructionmaterialsfromtheweatherwhilethehomewasbeingbuiltin2005. ThecouplechargedthatDreessaidallleakshadbeenaddressedwhen,infact,theyhadnt,andthat basementwindowleakswerentrepaireduntil2007.TheMengsalsoallegedthatDreesattemptedto repairwindowleakswithcalkingratherthanre-installthem.ThefamilyleftthehouseinApril 2007,leavingfurnitureandpersonalitemsbehind. WendyMengsaidshewashospitalizedseventimesin2006and2007formigraineheadaches.She saidshealsohassufferedfromtachycardia,heartpalpitations,memoryloss,nervoussystem dysfunction,breathingdifficultiesandchemicalsensitivity. Inaddition,thecouplesaid,PaulMenghasbeendiagnosedwithasthmasincemovingintothehouse. BothMengsweretreatedbyDr.RitchieC.ShoemakerofPocomoke,Md.,They,andtheirdaughter, Emma,aco-plaintiff,werealsotreatedforamonthbyDr.AllanLiebermanattheCenterfor OccupationalandEnvironmentalMedicineinCharleston,S.C. Attrial,whichbeganonDec.15beforeJudgeThomasD.Horne,theMengssought$400,000for remediationcostsandadditionaldamagesforallegednegligence,actualandconstructivefraudand violationsoftheVirginiaConsumerProtectionAct. ExpertswhotestifiedattrialfortheMengsincludedDr.Lieberman;ChinS.Yang,Ph.D.,Prestige EnviroMicrobiologyInc.inVoorhees,N.J.;RonaldWright,PEofRVBuricConstruction Consultants;hygienistandconstructionexpertTimothyDuffy,PECIHofBaltimore;appraiserJack CooperofVienna,Va.;andDavidgeWarfield,URIEnvironmentalInc.,Pottstown,Pa. DefenseexpertsincludedpsychiatristDr.BruceSmollerofChevyChase,Md.;Dr.TeeL.Guidotti,

aprofessorofenvironmentalandoccupationalhealthatGeorgeWashingtonUniversity;RickCottle PEofNashville,Tenn.;JasonBlumenberg,PatuxentEnvironmentalGroupinDunkirk,Md.;and JosephCocoCIHofAMAAnalyticalServicesInc.inLanham,Md. DefendantsmaintainedattrialthatanyillnessessufferedbytheMengswereunrelatedtomold.Dr. SmollertestifiedthatWendyMengsuffersfromdepressionandundifferentiatedsomatoform disorder,accordingtoatrialreport. Theverdictandamountsawardedwereasfollows:$2,276,000toWendyMengonthenegligence claim;$500,000toPaulMengfornegligence;$1,474,000toWendyandPaulMengonthe constructivefraudclaim;and$500,000tothecoupleforviolationoftheVirginiaConsumer ProtectionAct. ThejuryfoundforTheDreesCo.onanegligenceclaimbroughtonbehalfoftheMengs'daughter andontheMengsclaimsforactualfraudandbreachofcontract. AclaimforrescissionoftheconstructioncontractandforattorneysfeesundertheConsumer ProtectionActarependingbeforeJudgeHorne.AhearingisscheduledforFeb.6. DavidH.WiseandJamesP.LukesofWaters&WiseinFairfax,Va.,representtheMengs. KurtC.RommelandJeffreyS.PoretzofMiles&StockbridgeinMcLean,Va.,representTheDrees Co. DocumentsAreAvailable Call(800)496-4319 OrSearchwww.harrismartin.com VerdictRef#MOL-0901-04 AmendedComplaintRef#MOL-0901-05 AnswerRef#MOL-0901-06 OrderreDemurrerRef#MOL-0901-07

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