Melinda Ballard

Melinda Ballard (1958–2013)[1] 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, developed an unexplained respiratory condition in March 1999. Her husband Ron Allison, 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 was sitting in the adjacent seat, asked if there was a leak in their home which she confirmed. He speculated that their 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.[2] Their case started as a single claim for water damage and turned into a case about mold contamination in the entire house.[3][4] They were one of the first cases to highlight the dangerous results of toxic mold[5] and increased public awareness of the dangers of mold.

She and her husband, Ron Allison, were awarded $32 million in 2001[6] 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.[7] 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.

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