posted by on Aug 7
Defective Chinese Drywall Used in Florida Homes is at Center of a Class Action Lawsuit
In a Florida class action lawsuit that names manufacturers and distributors of defective Chinese drywall, plaintiffs allege that the product caused damage to homes, property values, and health. Around 8,000 to 10,000 homes built between 2004 and 2006 in Florida are included in affected property in Florida. This is the date range during which the construction industry experienced a drywall shortage and began importing defective drywall from China.
Defendants named in the Chinese drywall class action lawsuit are Knauf Group, the German parent company of KPT; Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), a Chinese drywall manufacturer; Rothchilt International Ltd., a China-based exporter, and Banner Supply, a Miami building supply company. The drywall class action is named on behalf of Shane M. Allen and Nicole J. Allen, who hail from the Fort Myers area.
The class action lawsuit alleges that the Chinese drywall was defective because it was manufactured using waste from Chinese power plants. This waste material is called fly ash, and emits sulfur compounds into homes made with the defective drywall. Sulfur emissions in the form of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide caused health problems in the houses’ inhabitants, as well as electrical damage, corrosion of AC units and wiring.
Health problems include respiratory ailments, nosebleeds, sinus problems, coughing, and irritation of eyes and throat. Plaintiffs seek damages and compensation from loss due to property devaluation, home and appliance repair and replacement, and medical testing for health problems stemming from the defective Chinese drywall.
posted by on Feb 11
Toyota Lawsuits over Brake & Accelerator Pedals
Toyota has had to recall over half a million Prius vehicles and over 8 million of their vehicles in general over problems related to brake and accelerator problems. This has caused investigations into when Toyota and the US agencies overseeing these types of problems in vehicles knew about such issues. The result has been a series of Toyota lawsuits.
The insurance company State Farm is reported to have notified US agencies back in 2007, about Toyota’s problematic accelerators in certain models. Separate reports state that in 2008 US agencies were notified from other sources as well.
Also, aside from the recalls, it’s reported that Toyota has not managed this current crisis very well. In the US, there is a certain level of protocol expected by consumers, determining the way these types of situations are handled by management. Toyota has not lived up to its excellent reputation.
At first Toyota is reported to have denied the problems with pedals, then tried to discredit the source of the news, then admitted only small problems before issuing the 8 million car recall. This has not set well with the US public and now Toyota lawsuits are growing in many states.
posted by on Jan 16
Mattel sold toys with dangerous levels of lead in them, and the public experienced scary recalls and worries about child health in 2007. Now, there is a Mattel toys lawsuit where claimants can recoup cost of the dangerous toys.
Mattel toys and some Fisher Price toys were on the market and being sold to US consumers in 2007 when it was discovered that popular items such as Barbie accessories and Dora the Explorer toys contained dangerous amouns of lead paint.
There were massive recalls that year, followed by 22 class action lawsuits against Mattel and Fisher Price for the toys, which were made in China. Now, almost three years later, the Mattel toys lawsuit continues, with consumers claiming reimbursement for toys the purchased previously.
Just this past October 2009, Mattel settled in a consumer lawsuit that could come to over $50 million. Consumers can get reimbursed at or a $10, whichever is greater. They can also recover costs of lead paint testing kits.
Toys in the Mattel toys lawsuit include Sesame Street, Polly Pocket, Batman, Sarge cars. They will also have to create a quality assurance program to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future. Exposure to lead can cause brain damage in children. Over two million Mattel toys were recalled in 2007.
