Ed
McMahon's Beverly Hills mansion.
(ABCNEWS.com |
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Ed
McMahon, 79, claims the insurance company botched a simple repair on
a broken pipe. As a result, he says, a black toxic mold spread through
his 8,000-square-foot, six-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion.
In a lawsuit filed this week, the entertainer is seeking $20 million
from American Equity Insurance Co., two insurance adjusters and several
environmental cleanup contractors.
Mold Abatement expert, Steve Slepcevic of Paramount, Inc. says he has
seen dozens of cases like the McMahons. "If the water sat for a
day or two, there is a very good probable cause that if it has touched
the walls or got under flooring, that you are going to have a mold problem,"
Slepcevic said.
Paramount's client, Melody Zeigler, didn't have to file a lawsuit when
her home became mold infested after a water line broke last November.
But Zeigler says her insurance company led her to believe the damage
was minimal.
"I pulled out suitcases and they were covered with white mold and
they looked like large bunny rabbits," Zeigler said. Zeigler's
home had to be gutted and treated with special cleaning agents.
Experts say the lesson here is to always get a second opinion.
"Don't necessarily go with the contractor the insurance company
brings out that is working for them and their interest in minimizing
the claim, rather do some research yourself, contact experts in this
field," Slepcevic said.
"It started with a broken water pipe, which is not a big deal,"
said McMahon's lawyer, Allan Browne. "It turned into a horrific
nightmare that only Stephen King could write about."
A spokeswoman for the insurance company declined to comment.
Den Flooded in July
McMahon says the pipe exploded last July in his home, flooding his den.
The company arranged to clean up the mess, but McMahon's lawsuit says
the contractors simply painted over the mold known in the germ
community as stachybotrus chartarum and didn't give McMahon any
reports about the infestation.
Soon after the incident, McMahon says he and his wife became seriously
ill, and their sheepdog, Muffin, developed respiratory problems and
died.
"This is a death mold," Brown said. "It can cause respiratory
illness or even death."
The McMahons moved out in September under doctor's orders after experts
found a high concentration of the mold in the master bedroom.
Making matters even worse, McMahon says he is still waiting for personal
memorabilia that he stored to be returned to him from another insurance
company.
The McMahons have moved into temporary digs, at $23,000 a month. They're
suing for physical injuries, emotional distress, and expenses they've
incurred.
Their home will need considerable work before it's habitable again,
their lawyer says.
"It looks like a mob descended upon the house, tore it apart and
left," Brown said.
Well, Ed McMahon apparently failed to get a second opinion of his home
and will now let the courts decide who is to blame for this black mold
that just won't seem to go away.
ABCNEWS Radio's David Alpert reporting from Los Angeles and Buck
Wolf in New York contributed to this report.
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