Florida Homeowners Defective Drywall Nightmare Continues; U.S. Manufacturers Named in Lawsuits
A CBS News investigation revealed that China may not be the only country that has manufactured defective drywall construction products, which have made hundreds of Floridians and other homeowners in southern states sick -- and left their homes in shambles. Some have even abandonned their homes, which they feel are no longer safe or fit to live in.
Chinese drywall manufacturers have been under scrutiny since earlier this year, when homeowners in communities such as West Palm Beach, Florida, began noticing foul-smelling fumes emitting from their walls. (See related blog item from April '09, South Florida Construction Product Liability: Faulty Chinese Drywall to Be Tested.
The CBS report, released last month, asserts that some U.S. companies may also be responsible for manufacturing faulty dry wall that crumbles and gives off noxious, foul-smelling, sickening fumes. The defective product also causes electrical wiring to corrode. To add insult to injury, some home owners are reporting that their insurance companies are not only denying their claims for damage caused by the faulty drywall, but they are cancelling their homeowners' policies. And because scam artists like to prey on people in desperate circumstances, the Federal Trade Commission issued an alert in Dec. warning homeowners against fraudulent offers of faulty drywall tests (see link below).
A number of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of homeowners against American construction product manufacturers, including Georgia Pacific and National Gypsum.
Florida product liability lawyers are familiar with laws and regulations as they relate to the manufacture of construction products such as drywall used to build homes. Drywall became popular in the 1950s as an inexpensive and lightweight construction material, used as an alternative to plaster for framing walls.
Beware of Bogus Tests, Inspections, and Fixes for Damaged Drywall
Federal Trade Commission, Dec. 11, 2009
Homeowners Charge U.S. Made Toxic Drywall
CBSNews.com Nov. 23, 2009
Related Web Resources
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Drywall Information Center
