Defective Product Lawyer
Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News, and Roanoke, Virginia
Chinese Dry Wall
Many of you may have heard that thousands of homes in the United States were constructed using toxic dry wall imported from China a few years ago. The defective drywall has led to a number of illnesses, some of them quite serious. Recent reports estimate that trials for these suits will begin as early as next year. If your family has been made ill by toxic dry wall that was used during a drywall shortage between 2004-2006, we encourage you to act now.
If you live in the Newport News, Norfolk, or Roanoke areas of Virginia and have been harmed by toxic drywall imported from China, there is legal help available. By contacting Kalfus & Nachman, Virginia defective product lawyers, you can get your questions answered and possibly become part of a class action lawsuit.
United States District Judge Eldon Fallon has announced he plans to move forward with overseeing the consolidated lawsuits involving the defective Chinese drywall in approximately six months. The federal lawsuits over damages caused by the dry wall were consolidated in mid-June in what is referred to as MDL (Multidistrict Litigation).
Judge Fallon has extensive experience with these types of cases and won great praise for his handling of the Vioxx litigation, which resulted in a global settlement of $4.85 billion for the plaintiffs.
Dangerous Dry Wall
The Chinese dry wall claims allege that the toxic drywall used to build thousands of homes all across the United States can "emit corrosive gases that emit foul odors, damage electrical equipment and copper throughout the home" leading to a whole host of health problems. Explanations for why the Chinese drywall is so dangerous are still hotly debated. Two aspects that all agree on is that the toxic dry wall emits the stench of rotten eggs and causes a variety of health problems.
The symptoms of exposure to the toxic drywall most often reported are:
- Respiratory problems
- Nose bleeds
- Headaches
- Eye irritation
Dry Wall and Property Damage
In addition to causing serious health problems, the defective drywall has wreaked havoc in the form of property damage to thousands of homes. The product liability attorneys at Kalfus & Nachman are currently working on claims dealing with corrosion damages to all metal parts of homes including entire electrical systems; copper piping; metal fixtures; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
It has been estimated that economic losses as a result of the defective drywall could reach over $25 billion nationwide. This disaster has already been dubbed the "next asbestos." If your home suffered property damage due to the defective drywall, you will most certainly need legal assistance as insurance companies spiral toward bankruptcy due to this "silent hurricane" disaster.
At the time of this writing, approximately 100,000 homes have the defective Chinese drywall in them as 500 million pounds of the drywall was shipped to the United States from China over a three-year period. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been over 600 reports of defective drywall in 21 states. Those numbers will only continue to grow.
If your home was constructed using dry wall from China, you should contact the builder right away and also visit your doctor to see if you or your family members have been made ill by the dry wall's toxicity. Improper removal of the dry wall can actually make the situation more dangerous as sulfur may be released in the air (and will remain there) causing continuous damage as long as the home is lived in. Homeowners should, instead, find out what the standard removal protocols are and get expert help if they remain in the contaminated home.
If you live in Chesapeake or the Norfolk area, please contact Virginia defective product lawyers at Kalfus & Nachman, Attorneys at Law today to schedule your confidential, no-cost consultation.