In Jacksonville, Florida, a devastated mother is convinced that the death of her son is linked to the condition of her apartment, which contained mold and asbestos. Michele McGrady moved into her apartment back in 2006. Two years later, her son died mysteriously in bed.
The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was an asthma attack, which McGrady says was triggered by either mold, asbestos or both. Asbestos is linked to respiratory conditions like asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects 3,000 new patients in America each year.
McGrady filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month against the apartment owner. "I thought the Village of Baymeadows would be the best," McGrady told reporters. "I feel like I failed." Lawyers for the apartment complex responded to the allegations by saying that the death was unforeseeable. In addition the lawyers say that the apartment manager never was told of the conditions in the room. McGrady said that while her son did suffer from asthma, he had not shown any symptoms for six years. "There was just no warning whatsoever," she said.
Shortly after the death of her son, Mrs. McGrady asked the apartment manager if the asbestos present in the apartments could have contributed to the death of her son. The apartment manager told her that was not the case. The apartment was damaged by flooding before the death of Mrs. McGrady’s son.
McGrady’s attorney, Mike Roberts, said, "As our apartment complexes get older, the owners and landlords have to take responsibility," he said. "Asbestos and mold aren’t nuisances to be swept under the rug."