Moldy House Part 2
Nationwide Insurance hired a company to find the source of the mold, but they couldn't, in fact, the company said further environmental studies were needed. But Nationwide still denied coverage. That's when Call for Action was contacted. Tonight, the conclusion of this one mothers fight for her family.
This is mold..and it has taken over the Wilson's home... "It's a pretty strong smell, this odor, and that tells you that the house has been infested!" - Eric Anderson, Mold Remediation Specialist
Call for Action asked Eric Anderson, a mold remediation specialist to inspect Irma Wilson's home. "It's a level 5 contamination.." -Anderson
The highest level possible. Because the mold problem is so toxic we had to wear these special masks to prevent us from getting sick... 'The family would need to be evacuated for a couple of months..."-Anderson After just a few minutes in Irma's home, it was clear to Eric the mold infestation was no maintenance issue. "The house has been well maintained, we went up to the attic, it's not a ventilation issue, so the airflow is decent..." During Eric's initial inspection he believes the problem lies underneath the house, perhaps a broken water pipe. If that is the case, that should be covered by Irma's homeowners policy, but remember, Nationwide refuses to investigate further.
"What I see happening is insurance companies not fulfilling their obligation to determine the cause..."-John Deaton, Attorney
Irma hired John Deaton, an attorney knowledgeable in mold cases. John says mold is excluded in most insurance policies, however, if mold is caused by, say, a broken water pipe then it should be covered. "In my opinion, they think the average consumer is uneducated on this issue and will simply go away."- Deaton
" I live in modest means...I haven't caused this, I haven't. " But this mother won't go away. "When I look at my kids I'm horrified that we're in here, but I don't have the money to move out the least they could have done for us was finish the investigation if they were a good insurance company."- Irma Wilson
In fact, a Superior Court Judge agrees. During a court hearing in the fall, Judge Rogerie Thompson ordered nationwide to put the Wilson's up in a hotel. In court, the judge also strongly suggested they re-open the case, Nationwide won't. But until the next court date, the Wilson's are staying in a hotel...and actually feeling better each day they're away from their poisoned home.
Irma tells Call For Action that her Attorney recently hired a plumber. 10 minutes and just $275 dollars later, the plumber found what he believes to be the source of the mold. A break in the sewer drain pipe. Exactly what our mold specialist suspected. With this new information, Nationwide is going back out to see for themselves. No one from Nationwide would speak to me on camera. In a written statement, the company said "Nationwide conducted a thorough investigation..." but since the claim is in litigation they declined to discuss Irma's case any further.
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