August 2, 2002—Increasing lawsuits related to toxic mold damage have spurred a flurry of legislative activity in several states, including Texas, California, and Maryland. Industry experts say Florida may not be far behind.
“More and more occurrences of mold are being reported in Florida,” says Brian L’Hommedieu, CMR, president of MicrOscope, Inc., a mold remediation company based in Fort Myers, Fla. “Our business has doubled in the past year, mostly because people here are becoming more aware of what mold is—what it looks like, smells like—and the adverse effects it can have on their health.”
Claims in Florida have reportedly increased as much as 25 percent in the past year, according to Allstate Corporation. State Farm Insurance also reports a substantial climb in Florida’s mold-related claims—citing seven hundred in 2001, compared to eighty-three in 2000.
Concerned about the volume and amount of the claims, fifty Florida insurance companies have joined insurance firms elsewhere in the United States in asking state regulators to limit their mold liability. To date, no legislative action has been taken on the petitions. Currently, most Florida insurance policies will cover mold damage only when it relates to what the Florida Department of Insurance deems a “covered peril,” such as a hurricane or a windstorm.
For more information, contact MicrOscope Inc.
