| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
'Tonight Show' sidekick Ed McMahon settles toxic mold case
Tuesday April 15, 2003LOS ANGELES (AP) Former ``Tonight Show'' sidekick Ed McMahon settled a lawsuit against the last of several defendants he sued for toxic mold that allegedly sickened him and his wife, killed his dog and made his Beverly Hills mansion unlivable.
McMahon, 80, agreed to accept $230,000 to resolve the dispute, court documents revealed Monday.
He had sued American Equity Insurance Co., two insurance adjusters and several cleanup contractors for $20 million last year, claiming his 8,000-square-foot mansion was ruined.
The other defendants made settlements over the past few months. The settlement reached Friday was paid by Controlled Environmental Solutions.
McMahon filed suit in April 2002 claiming that a plumbing pipe in his home ruptured in July 2001, flooding his den. The company he hired to clean the mess, Alliance Environmental Group, allegedly painted over the stachybotrus chartarum, and didn't tell him about the mold.
Soon afterward, McMahon claimed he and his wife became sickened and their sheepdog, Muffin, developed respiratory illness and died. The couple moved per doctor's orders in September 2001, and rented another home at $23,000 a month. Toxic mold later was found in McMahon's master bedroom.
The case was scheduled to go to trial this week.
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