$7.5M for two children sickened by apartment mold after the owners never answered the suit
A default judgment settled liability. The jury only had to decide what the injuries were worth.
Amount awarded by the jury $7,500,000 Alachua County Circuit Court (Eighth Judicial Circuit) · April 8, 2025 · Alachua County, Florida
An Alachua County jury awarded $7.5 million to two girls, ages 8 and 11, who were sickened by toxic mold in the Gainesville apartment where they lived with their mother.
Their mother sued the owners, operators and managers of the apartment complex in March 2023. She said they failed to fix persistent water intrusion through the apartment’s ceiling, which led to a toxic mold infestation, and failed to keep the unit habitable and safe as Florida law requires. She said the mold had been there a long time, that the defendants knew about it, and that the girls suffered respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
The defendants did not respond to the complaint, and the court entered a default judgment against them. A jury trial was held only on damages. On April 8, 2025, the jury awarded $3.4 million to the younger girl and $4.1 million to the older girl.
The court entered judgment for $7.5 million on April 10, 2025, and writs of execution were issued against the defendants on May 8, 2025, according to the Florida Jury Verdict Reporter.
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Not legal advice. Southeast Verdicts reports public court outcomes and news coverage. Parties are anonymized. Amounts are as reported at the time of the verdict or settlement and may have been reduced, appealed or not collected.
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