Monday, August 30, 2010

DEADLINE LOOMING FOR FILING CHINESE DRYWALL CLAIMS

SEPTEMBER 3RD DEADLINE FOR KNAUF INTERVENTIONS IN MDL


The Plaintiffs Steering Committee has extended the deadline for accepting additional claims against Knauf to be included on interventions until Friday, September 3, 2010 at 5 ET. It is doubtful that this deadline will be extended. Knauf, one of the largest manufacturers of defective Chinese Drywall, has accepted service for home owners in the MDL litigation out of New Orleans. A majority of the defective drywall was imported into the United States between 2005 and 2007.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon ordered Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd., a committee of attorneys representing plaintiffs and certain drywall installers, suppliers and insurers to participate in mediation in New Orleans. Fallon wanted the parties to discuss the "global resolution of claims," according to an entry in the court record. Fallon "encouraged all parties to consider global settlement rather than individual resolution of claims."

Knauf Gips, a family-owned German company with operations throughout the world, has argued for almost two years that it is not legally responsible for the millions of pounds of defective drywall that one of its subsidiaries in China has admitted exporting to the United States. But documents filed in Germany and in U.S. courts show that Knauf’s German umbrella company is closely involved in the management of its subsidiaries, including overseeing quality control, finding raw materials and dealing with rising concerns over the defective drywall.

If you believe you have defective Chinese drywall in your home and experienced repeated AC coil failures, electrical issues, appliance failures, tarnished fixtures, sulfur odors in your home and/or suffer with respiratory issues, nose bleeds, headaches and or unexplained rashes, please contact me.

FOR A FREE CASE EVALUATION, CONTACT BOOTH SAMUELS AT BOOTHS@PITTMANDUTTON.COM OR CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-515.8880.