Evidence of Knowlingly Selling Defective Chinese Drywall Admitted at Trial in MIami — Our Chicago Consumer Class-Action Lawyers Bring Suit to Recoup Monies Lost Due to Defective Products

NPR reports:

Years before it was made public, manufacturers, distributors and builders knew there was a big problem with imported drywall from China, according to documents introduced at a Miami trial. The problem with the drywall has affected thousands of homeowners. ….

According to Gonzales, who’s on the national plaintiffs’ steering committee for Chinese drywall, the case is important in another way as well.

There’s clear evidence in the record that they knew in 2006 about this problem, and they didn’t become the hero of the homeowners by preventing them from buying homes with Chinese drywall.

– Attorney Ervin Gonzalez speaking of Banner Supply, which provided contaminated drywall to hundreds of homes
“This is the first inkling that we have that Knauf had real knowledge of the problem,” he says.

Knauf is a German-based multinational and the largest manufacturer of Chinese drywall used in the U.S. The company is the defendant in a series of lawsuits being heard in federal court in New Orleans.

In a statement, Knauf confirms that it investigated customer complaints of odor in 2006 and conducted tests, but it found that the drywall “had no adverse impact on homeowners’ health.”

As to why it didn’t issue a recall of its product, Knauf says it “can only act on complaints filed by its customers.”

Attorney Victor Diaz, who represents about 150 South Florida homeowners in a class-action lawsuit, says Knauf and Banner Supply weren’t the only companies that knew early on there was a problem with Chinese drywall.

Our Chicago consumer fraud attorneys bring class action lawsuits when manufacturers and distributors cheat consumers and businesses and knowingly sell them defective products. Our Chicago consumer lawyers have handled individual and class action consumer protection cases throughout Illinois and with co-counsel all over the country for over 25 years. If you or your business is a victim of consumer fraud or purchased a defective product that has a mass design defect, please contact one of our Oak Brook or Wheaton consumer trial attorneys online or at (888) 990-4990.

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