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Chinese Drywall

By Paul Napoli

Toxic tort is a type of personal injury law that involves being exposed to toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals or other types of dangerous substances that can seriously damage your health. It does seem like every day there is a new substance that is dangerous and has caused some kind of bodily harm to an innocent victim.

Toxic tort cases are usually brought about by people who work in construction or in chemical and manufacturing plants that use toxic chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency was set up to work with these companies as well as state agencies to protect the health and welfare of the people who work or live around these facilities.

Construction workers are exposed to toxic materials on a regular basis as they put up insulation in the buildings that they are working on. The insulation is made up of asbestos and extended exposure to asbestos could result in severe respiratory illnesses. One in particular is mesothelioma which is a form of cancer that has increased in the past few years with the added exposure of asbestos.

A new addition to the effects that chemicals can have on our health and well-being is the use of Chinese drywall in homes that were built in the past few years. During 2005 and 2006 there was a shortage of drywall and builders began using Chinese drywall. Recently homeowners began complaining of problems in their home that ranged from heating and air conditioning units breaking down to an infiltration of a rotten egg odor that permeates through the house.

Lennar Homes, a construction company that builds new homes in Miami, recently filed a lawsuit against Knauf Plasterboard, Taishan Gypsum and Banner Supply Company as manufacturers and distributors of the defective Chinese drywall. Lennar is blaming these companies with providing them with defective gypsum drywall which has subsequently reflected on the quality of Lennar homes.

Lennar has taken care of their customers and now wants the manufacturers and distributors to do the same for them. The inferior drywall is said to contain an excess of sulfur gases that erode metals and have interfered with air conditioning units in over 80 homes in the Miami-Dade area.

The health risks at this time have not been identified but many people have been displaced from their homes because they have not been able to stand the odor. This is still a newly developing situation and many illnesses may not have been recognized as being attributable to the Chinese drywall.

While Knauf Plasterboard hired a toxicologist to prove that there are no health concerns associated with the drywall Lennar has set up a special task force to address concerns from homeowners affected by this defective product.

If your home was built in 2005 to 2006 and you suspect the builder used Chinese drywall, you may want to contact the law firm of Napoli Bern Ripka at 1-888-LAW-IN-NY. Our professional team of experts can assess your case during a free consultation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on September 20, 2009 (boomark / email).