Missouri, United States of America – a jury recently awarded a verdict of $28 million for a plaintiff who sued his employer regarding respiratory injuries resulting from improper exposure to mold in the course of his employment activities.

The plaintiff, 56 year old Philip Berger, worked for Copeland Scroll Compressors, a division of Emerson Climate Technologies, in Lebanon, Missouri. The verdict rendered by the jury in Berger’s case found that his hypersensitivity pneumonitis was the responsibility of Berger’s Employer.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a disease of the lungs. Those afflicted with hypersensitivity pneumonitis have inflamed lungs as a result of breathing in certain dust particles or contaminants, according to the American lung association. Most often it occurs from people who are exposed to certain fungus or mold spores. The American Lung Association lists that this kind of exposure frequently occurs in work places with high levels of these types of contaminants or dust. There is no effective cure or treatment for this condition.