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Gilman and Pastor LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Manufacturers and Distributors of Defective Chinese Drywall That Has Caused Significant Construction Defects and Health Problems for Building Owners
BOSTON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Notice is hereby given that Gilman and
Pastor has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the
Middle District of Florida asserting class action claims on behalf of
homeowners, building owners, community developments and owner associations
across the United States to recover losses associated with the removal,
replacement and remediation of defective "Chinese Drywall," as well as
damages for personal injury.
Residents who may be affected include those living in homes that were
built between 2002 and 2007, when imported Chinese Drywall was used by
several of the major building companies. The defendants named in this
lawsuit include Knauf Gips KG, the leading manufacturer in drywall located
in Germany, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), a Chinese drywall
manufacturer; Knauf Group, the German parent company of KPT; Banner Supply,
a Miami building supply company; and Rothchilt International Ltd., a
China-based exporter. Developers that have been identified as possible
users of this drywall include Lennar Homes, W.C.I., Tousa, Engel Homes and
other national home builders.
The lawsuit alleges that "fly ash" waste material from Chinese power
plants was used in the manufacture of this Chinese Drywall. These waste
materials can leak into the air and emit harmful sulfur compounds,
including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Our investigation has concluded that this is far more serious and
vastly more extensive than previously determined. More than 550 million
pounds of Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. during the housing boom
from 2004 to 2006. There are approximately 60,000 homes affected by these
defective building materials in multiple states across the USA, with
defective Chinese drywall gaining entry through ports in Alabama,
California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New
York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington, among
others.
There is no easy way to fix the damage caused by the defective drywall.
In most cases, owners of homes where the toxic drywall was installed are
forced to move out, gut their homes to remove the toxic materials, and
rebuild the interiors of the homes with new drywall before moving back in.
All personal property inside the home that may have been contaminated by
the sulfur gases must also be replaced. The Sulfur emissions may also cause
extensive electrical damage. Corrosion of air-conditioning units and wiring
has been linked to Chinese drywall. Residents in homes built with the
defective drywall have also reported suffering from respiratory problems,
nose bleeds, coughing, and irritation of sinuses, eyes and throats.
Prompt action is important. With many builders and developers filing
for bankruptcy protection or closing their doors, a delay in asserting your
claim may limit your recourse against the builders that installed the
defective materials or their suppliers.
News agencies and informational web sites could be especially helpful
to consumers by alerting them to this serious problem.
Gilman and Pastor is a national litigation firm with offices in Boston,
Massachusetts, and Naples, Florida, specializing in product liability
litigation, consumer class actions and complex business litigation. For 30
years our attorneys have recovered more than a billion dollars on behalf of
our clients.
Gilman and Pastor's managing partner, Kenneth G. Gilman, has worked
extensively to assist building owners recover losses from defective
building materials. Gilman and Pastor was appointed by the United States
District Court as lead class counsel in Sebago Inc et al. v. Beazer East,
Inc. and Johns Manville against the two manufacturers of phenolic foam roof
insulation. PFRI, when exposed to even small amounts of moisture, releases
an acidic leachate that corrodes metal roof decks. In 2000, the United
States District Court in Massachusetts approved a nationwide class
settlement which involved remediation of class members' buildings with
payments of a combined estimated value of more than $350 million.
You may learn more about our lawsuit and our investigation into Chinese
Drywall by contacting Kenneth G. Gilman toll-free at (888) 280-1236.
Additional information is available online at http://www.defective-drywall.com. We
can assist you in all phases of this matter, including properly scheduled
inspections.
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