First Chinese Drywall Lawsuits Targeted for January

By Jim Greene

Published on November 13, 2009

Facing hundreds of lawsuits by thousands of complainants over allegedly defective Chinese drywall, a federal judge hopes to begin the arduous task if litigating these claims in January, starting with just half-a-dozen cases. At issue is whether or not the imported building material emits dangerous fumes that are allegedly ruining houses and creating a health hazard for the occupants.

U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon will choose six cases from those over which he has jurisdiction, in a move that may begin the process of establishing precedents for subsequent case.

Defendants in the hundreds of suits may include manufacturers, distributors, shippers, and installers of Chinese drywall. Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, a German-owned and China-based company, was the first manufacturer to file information for the lawsuits. The most prominent home construction firm to file is Lennar Corp., a leading builder in Florida, where a large concentration of allegedly affected homes is located.

Fumes emitted by Chinese drywall are alleged to contain sulfur and other gases that corrode the copper found in air-conditioning units, as well as electrical wiring and plumbing. Numerous health issues have also been cited, primarily various forms of respiratory damage.

Judge Fallon said he will begin with cases related to alleged property damage before moving on to those regarding health issues.

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