The Grant Sawyer building located at 555 E Washington Ave #5100 in Las Vegas has recently undergone repairs in an effort to root out its recurring mold problem. People who have been sickened by the mold may have a Nevada worker’s compensation cause of action against the state of Nevada.
Mold at Grant Sawyer building
The heating and ventilation equipment at the Grant Sawyer state offices has been replaced. This measure is in response to a report linking leaks in the equipment and the presence of two species of mold. In a report, Dr. James Craner posits that leaky valves may have led to water spilling onto ceiling tiles, which in turn created conditions for mold spores to grow.
Last year, several employees at the Grant Sawyer building filed worker’s comp complaints claiming that they suffered headaches and respiratory ailments caused by the mold. This latest spate of illnesses may be a re-occurrence of the mid-1990’s “sick building syndrome” situation at the Grant Sawyer building. Back then, people had similar respiratory health complaints, and it is believed that HVAC leaks contributed to the moldy dust.
One of the species of mold detected in the building is Stachybotrys chartarum, which Dr. Craner says is “highly associated with building-related symptoms.” This coming July, the Nevada Department of Administration plans to conduct a deep-cleaning of the building’s carpets and any other surfaces that may have come into contact with mold. Then the Department will retest for mold four months following the cleaning.
Mold injuries
Exposure to mold can cause various injuries, including:
- congestion,
- wheezing,
- red eyes,
- itchy eyes,
- fever,
- shortness of breath,
- increased symptoms in people with asthma, and/or
- increased symptoms in people with mold allergies
Oftentimes, symptoms will clear when the person is removed from the environment containing the mold.
Mold lawsuits and damages
Employees at the Grant Sawyer building who have suffered mold-related injuries may be able to file a worker’s comp claim. Independent contractors who worked at the Grant Sawyer building cannot bring a worker’s comp claim, but they still may be able to bring other causes of action such as negligence. And employees and independent contractors may both be able to bring lawsuits against any responsible to-be-determined third-parties who contributed to the mold problem.
Depending on the case and extent of the injuries, the plaintiffs in a mold lawsuit may be able to recover money damages to cover their:
For more on this story, read the Las Vegas Review-Journal article and the Nevada Independent article.
