This case involves an apartment building in Michigan that developed a serious mold contamination. The mold was caused by a water leakage following a powerful rain storm. Many of the tenants were exposed to this mold and subsequently suffered a variety of medical ailments. Most tenants had to move out of the building within the year because the property damage was so significant. An expert in building maintenance was sought to discuss how to properly control water leakage and prevent mold contamination.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. What procedures would you recommend to prevent, mitigate, and/or remove mold subsequent to a water leak?
Expert Witness Response E-136581
To prevent mold due to water leakage, you need to do annual roof inspections after 5 years. To mitigate and remove the mold, you need to determine how much of an area in each unit will be affected. If a bathroom or a kitchen has to be upset, then the tenant needs to move out for the work to be completed because they will not have normal living quarters. If there are small areas in each unit and you can contain them, that's fine. If the water damage is throughout the apartment, you have to look at it on a case-by-case basis. You will need to first dry out the materials so the salvageable materials can be sanded cleanly of the mold. You will need to remove drywall or plaster that is water damaged and not reusable, 6-12 inches beyond where the water damaged ends. After it is deemed to be cleaned by the remediation contractor after at least 24-48 hours, the inspector should come back and inspect each area to make sure it is visibly clean and dry. If it meets that criteria then an air sample should be taken in each containment to determine that the mold spores are at an acceptable level, which has to be less than 2 spores of any mold.
About the author
Victoria Negron
Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.
Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.
Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.
