Melinda Ballard (April 21, 1958 - June 2, 2013)[1][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.
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