Wikipedia reports that Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack, better known as Brittany Murphy, big screen star of films including Clueless, Girl Interrupted, 8 Mile, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys, died on December 20, 2009 from pneumonia despite public speculation of an eating disorder or drug abuse. Sharon Murphy, mother of Brittney Murphy, has filed a lawsuit against her former attorneys alleging legal malpractice, breach of express and/or implied contract, and breach of fiduciary duty concerning the legal firm's negotiation of a settlement in this case which is underscored and aggravated by Sharon's reported discovery of "extensive water damage and mold infestation". Sharon suggests the real cause of death of her daughter and her daughter's husband, Simon Monjack - who died five months and three days later with the same diagnosis, was Black Mold.

Black mold or toxic black mold is known to the scientific community as S. chlorohalonata and is one of the fifty species of Stachybotrys. S. chlorohalonata is frequently found in water damaged buildings with poor indoor air quality and can result in a wide range of ailments depending on the length of exposure and the volume of spores inhaled. It is well reported and documented that long term exposure can result in a bevy of maladies including immunosuppression, dementia, ongoing and recurring respiratory infections, irregular heartbeat, and death.

If Sharon can prove that the underlying cause of death for Brittany and Simon was in fact black mold infestation that was caused by the builder purposely covering up known water damage then she may in fact have a legitimate case against her previous attorney who settled the case opposed to perusing damages against the builder - who may be criminally negligent and, therefore, strictly liable for the deaths. Alas, I am not an attorney and I am not qualified to practice law so I can only speculate, for entertainment purposes only, as to the potential responsibility and liability of this case.

However, what I can state without disclaimer is that mold abatement (defined as suppression or termination) is well within the operating scope and professional expertise of a professional, independent water damage restoration company.

A professional, independent water damage restoration company is professionally trained and industry certified to remediate (repair) water damage and eliminate other damages and risks caused by water damage including mold. The reader would be wise to consider that such qualification and expertise may not be what you get when you call a national franchise or your insurance adjuster's suggested or "preferred" company to remediate your water damage as these "dependent" companies tend to cut corners in order to continue being preferred. Perhaps the builder in question was an insurance company preferred company? We can only speculate.

R.I.P. Brittany Murphy

R.I.P. Simon Monjack

Best Wishes Sharon Murphy

May no one have to suffer the caustic and fatal effects of black mold again.