Melinda Ballard

Melinda Ballard (April 21, 1958 - June 2, 2013)[1][2] was an American businesswoman and activist for insurance policyholders. In 1999, she sued her insurer over mold damage in her 22-room family home in Dripping Springs, Texas. Her three-year-old son, Reese Allison(1996-2021), developed an unexplained respiratory condition in March 1999. Her husband, Ron Allison (1970-2021), was later shown to have signs of Alzheimer's disease. On April 1, 1999, after the start of Ron and Reese‘s symptoms, Melinda took a Southwest Airlines flight and became ill, coughing up blood. Air-quality expert and investigator Bill Holder, who happened to be sitting in the adjacent seat, asked if there was a leak in their home which she confirmed. He speculated that her ill health could be due to a toxic form of black mold in their 12,000 square foot home, which was based on the movie version of "Tara", the home of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.[3] Their case started as a single claim for water damage and turned into a case about mold contamination in the entire house.[4][5] They were one of the first cases to highlight the dangerous results of toxic mold[6] and increased public awareness of the dangers of mold.

She and her husband, Ron Allison, were awarded $32 million in 2001[7] as a result of a lawsuit against Farmers Insurance for their failure to pay claims relating to mold damage. The award was later reduced to $4 million on appeal however a subsequent settlement awarded a larger, confidential sum to the family.[8] As a result of her case and the attention she received, Ballard founded Policyholders of America, a consumer advocacy group and homeowner’s insurance information clearinghouse in around 2004.

Melinda died in 2013 at the age of 55.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Melinda Ballard - All Things Mold". All Things Mold. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Ronald C. Allison". AncientFaces. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  3. ^ Williams, Alex. "Spore War". New York Magazine. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Brockovich Takes On A New Foe: Mold". Mold Help. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. ^ Elliot, Janet. "Mold case impact outlives house where crisis began". Chron. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. ^ Progovitz, Richard F. (September 2003). Black Mold Your Health and Your Home. ISBN 9780974394398. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  7. ^ Smith, Jordan. "The 'Mold Queen' Fights Back". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Court cuts award in landmark mold case to $4M however a later settlement awarded a confidential larger sum to the family". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
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