Lawsuit blames mold for Murphy's death

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Brittany Murphy's mother has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles suggesting toxic mold in the actress' home might have contributed to her Dec. 20, 2009 death.

Murphy died of pneumonia, anemia and multiple drug intoxication at age 32. Her husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack, died five months later of pneumonia and anemia at age 39.

The Hollywood Reporter said Sharon Murphy is suing Steiner & Libo, the attorneys who represented her in a suit against the builders of the Hollywood Hills home where her daughter and son-in-law died, for legal malpractice, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.

Sharon Murphy claimed the lawyers neglected to tell her she would be giving up the right to pursue a possible wrongful-death suit when she accepted a settlement in an earlier lawsuit against the builders of the 13-year-old mansion.

Sharon Murphy came to believe the toxic mold was a cause in the deaths of her daughter and son-in-law this past summer when she was trying to sell the house, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.

Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner of Los Angeles County, told The Hollywood Reporter his office looked for evidence of mold during the couple's autopsies but did not find any. Winter also said Sharon Murphy told him at the time of Monjack's death she did not believe mold was a contributing factor and wouldn't allow an inspection of the house as the coroner had requested.

The Hollywood Reporter said its call to David Libo of the Steiner & Libo firm was not immediately returned.