Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog : Insurance Subrogation Lawyer & Attorney : Cozen O'Connor Law Firm : Property Damage & Insurance Commentary

On June 15, 2009, a special panel on multidistrict litigation ordered 10 federal cases involving liability for allegedly defective Chinese manufactured drywall consolidated in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana with Judge Eldon E. Fallon. It was also ordered that another 67 liability actions involving allegedly defective Chinese manufactured drywall pending in other federal districts, and any other related state or federal action, be treated as potential tag-along actions and consolidated in the same court.

This procedure, referred to as multidistrict litigation, is utilized in the federal court system to consolidate pending federal and state civil cases filed throughout the United States with common questions of fact. The consolidation allows one federal judge to manage, among other things, pretrial procedures, discovery, and dispositive motions. However, after all discovery and pretrial rulings, if issues remain to be tried, the case will be remanded back to the court where it was originally filed for trial.

Judge Fallon has entered a number of orders in the Chinese drywall multi-district litigation. One of interest was entered on October 9, 2009, as Pretrial Order No. 1(B). In that order, Judge Fallon sets forth the duties and obligations for the preservation of physical evidence that must be followed by all individuals in all jurisdictions.

In summary, all individuals and entities who have or intend to pursue claims relating to allegedly defective Chinese manufactured drywall must preserve certain portions of the defective drywall and the damaged property at their own expense. Parties are required to preserve multiple samples of the drywall, drywall end tape, HVAC coil material samples, plumbing component samples, electrical component samples, and other damaged property. All evidence must be photographed or videotaped. Photographs of the evidence should be taken before and after it is removed from the property and documented on a floor plan. Thereafter, all preserved evidence must be individually stored in double-bagged polyethylene zip-lock bags. The samples must be clearly labeled on the outside of one plastic bag and then placed inside the second plastic bag. The label should include the name and address of the property, the date the samples were taken, the type of evidence, and the location where the item was taken from within the property. Finally, the evidence must be stored in a reasonably climate controlled location and free of water or moisture. 

The preservation of evidence is key to any claim involving damage to property. As such, anyone pursuing or intending to pursue a claim for damage caused by allegedly defective drywall should read and strictly comply with Pretrial Order No. 1(B).

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From 2004 through 2006, the housing boom and rebuilding efforts necessitated by various hurricanes led to a shortage of construction materials.  As a result, U.S. builders and suppliers imported significant amounts of Chinese drywall, estimated to be enough to construct approximately 100,000 homes.  A number of putative class action complaints and approximately 100 other state and federal complaints including counts for negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, and violations of consumer protection acts have been filed alleging that the Chinese drywall emits gaseous emissions or “off-gassing” that creates a noxious “rotten egg-like” odor and causes damage and corrosion to home structural and mechanical systems such as air conditioner and refrigerator coils, copper tubing, faucets, metal surfaces, and electrical wiring. Additionally, the “off-gassing” is alleged to cause health problems, including allergic reactions, coughing, respiratory problems, sinus problems, throat infection, eye irritation, and nosebleeds.

Various federal, state, and independent agencies have done testing to determine the cause of the “off-gassing” but none have reached a final conclusion.  On May 7, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Response Team published a drywall analysis comparing a limited number of Chinese drywall samples from Florida homes to U.S. made drywall samples purchased from a Home Depot in New Jersey.

The EPA found significant differences between the Chinese drywall and the U.S. made drywall:

• Sulfur was detected in the Chinese drywall but not in the U.S. drywall.
• Strontium in the Chinese drywall was anywhere from twice to ten times the amount found in the U.S. made drywall.
• Iron concentrations in the Chinese drywall were also significantly higher.
• Notably, there was no evidence of fly ash found in the Chinese drywall samples or the U.S. samples.

However, the EPA has not issued a final report on the cause of the “off-gassing” and whether it causes property damage and personal injury.

On June 15, 2009, a special panel on multi-district litigation ordered cases involving Chinese drywall consolidated in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana with Judge Eldon E. Fallon.  The matters are also being closely followed by Florida Congressman Robert Wexler, an advocate for families adversely impacted by homes built with Chinese drywall.

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