Midea Air Conditioner Lawsuit Claims Mold Growth Caused Serious Respiratory Issues

Lawsuit alleges that a defective design led to water pooling in the units, which encouraged mold growth.

An Arizona man is pursuing a lawsuit that claims he suffered breathing problems due to mold exposure from a defectively designed Midea window A/C unit sold by Amazon.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by David Cameron in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey on May 5. It names Midea America Corp., GD Midea Air-Conditioning Equipment Co. LTD. and Amazon.com Services LLC as defendants.

Cameron alleges that Midea and Amazon failed to properly design, test or warn consumers about the risks posed by the window A/C units, despite 152 consumer reports of mold growth and a recall affecting more than 1.7 million devices.

Midea Air Conditioner Recall

The Midea air conditioner is designed for installation in a window or wall opening to cool individual rooms. Its U-shaped design allows the window to close through the center of the unit, helping keep the compressor outside and reduce indoor noise.

However, a Midea A/C system recall was announced in June 2025 after reports indicated that water could pool inside the units, creating conditions that allowed mold to grow. The recall affected more than 1.7 million air conditioners and followed 17 reports of users suffering respiratory side effects.

In the days following the recall, a class action lawsuit was filed against Midea for defective A/C units after a number of users allegedly suffered severe respiratory health problems, including neurological complications, asthma, allergic reactions, coughing, sneezing and other symptoms.

Midea Air Conditioner Lawsuit

Cameron’s lawsuit indicates he purchased a Midea A/C unit from Amazon in April 2024. He claims that a design defect allowed water to pool in the bottom of the air conditioner, which prevented proper drainage and allowed mold to proliferate.

The complaint alleges the manufacturer, Midea, and Amazon, as the seller, failed to properly design and test the product to ensure it was free of defects that caused harm to consumers.

Additionally, despite hundreds of reports submitted by consumers who discovered mold in the air conditioners, including dozens of injuries, the lawsuit indicates that the companies waited until a full recall was issued to warn consumers of the danger.

The complaint indicates Cameron began to suffer severe respiratory issues due to mold exposure from the A/C unit as a result of the product defects. He endured disability, required medical nursing care, suffered permanent injuries, and will require ongoing care.

“When placed in the stream of commerce, Midea A/C Unit was defective in design and formulation, making the use of Midea A/C Unit more dangerous than an ordinary consumer would expect, and more dangerous than other risks associated with other air conditioning units on the market.”

— David Cameron v. Midea America Corp. et al

Cameron’s complaint presents claims of violation of the New Jersey products liability act, defective design, failure to warn and breach of express warranty. It is seeking compensation for damages, pain and suffering, mental anguish and attorney’s fees.

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