Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed legislation that bans insurers from cancelling or non-renewing homeowners insurance coverage when a policyholder files a claim based on Chinese Manufactured drywall. As previously reported here, Louisiana state Senate Bill, SB 595, was sponsored by State Senator Julie Quinn (R-Metairie) and unanimously passed the Louisiana Senate on April 26, 2010. read more
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On June 3, 2010 Judge Robert G. Doumar of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found that a homeowner’s policy did not cover damages associated with Chinese manufactured drywall. read more
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A Louisiana state Senate Bill, SB 595, would ban insurers from canceling homeowners and commercial property coverage because of Chinese drywall claims. read more
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On Friday April 2, 2010, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued “interim remediation guidance” to homeowners impacted by Chinese manufactured drywall. read more
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United States Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) reports that, this week, Chinese president Hu Jintao told him this week that he would investigate problems with Chinese manufactured drywall. read more
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On March 24, 2010, Judge Rebecca Beach Smith of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed claims filed by a Virginia Beach-based builder seeking insurance coverage for the costs of voluntarily remediating Chinese Drywall. read more
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As reported here, the first federal trial in the nationwide Chinese drywall controversy began on February 19th, 2010 in New Orleans, La. That trial, involving defendant Taishan Gypsum, has now concluded and Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law have been submitted for consideration. read more
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The first federal trial in the nationwide Chinese drywall controversy began on February 19th, 2010 in New Orleans and is ongoing. This “bellwether” trial involves seven Virginia plaintiffs whose homes contain drywall manufactured by China-based Taishan Gypsum Co. read more
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On December 2, 2009 the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (“JPML”) ruled that an action alleging damage from North American manufactured drywall should not be transferred to the federal Chinese Drywall Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”) pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana (In Re: Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2047). read more
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On December 2, 2009 the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (“JPML”) rejected efforts to transfer an insurance coverage action to the federal Chinese Drywall Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”) pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana (In Re: Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2047). read more
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On November 17, 2009, a bill was introduced in the United States House of Representatives that would ban insurance companies from canceling, or refusing to renew, the policies of homeowners as the result of Chinese manufactured drywall in the home. read more
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On Monday November 23, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) issued a press statement and study results demonstrating a “strong association” between homes with the Chinese manufactured drywall and levels of hydrogen sulfide and corrosion of metals in those homes. read more
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The Insurance and Reinsurance Department of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge invites you to view "Up Against A Chinese Drywall: Recent Developments in the Ongoing Products Liability and Coverage Litigation" - a complimentary 60 minute webinar. read more
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In a meeting this week with Democrats from the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty stated that, in his opinion, damages associated with allegedly toxic Chinese drywall are not covered damages under homeowner’s insurance policies. read more
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EAPD participated in the October 22, 2009 sessions of the Chinese Drywall Insurance Conference taking place in Miami Beach, Florida. The day included a lively discussion between attorneys on all sides of this emerging issue, including attorneys representing homeowners, builders, suppliers, and insurers. Summaries of those discussions are set out below. read more
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The Insurance and Reinsurance Department of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge invites you to join them for "Up Against A Chinese Drywall: Recent Developments in the Ongoing Products Liability and Coverage Litigation" - a complimentary 60 minute webinar to be held Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 12:00pm EDT / 4:00pm GMT. read more
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The Insurance and Reinsurance Department of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge invites you to join them for "Up Against A Chinese Drywall: Recent Developments in the Ongoing Products Liability and Coverage Litigation" - a complimentary 60 minute webinar to be held Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 12:00pm EDT / 4:00pm GMT. read more
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A federal judge in New Orleans has defaulted a defendant, Taishan Gypsum Company, in a products liability class action lawsuit. The Judge held Taishan Gypsum in default because it failed to respond to a class action complaint. Taishan Gypsum allegedly is one of the largest manufacturers of Chinese drywall. read more
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Legislation recently introduced in the United States Senate could help homeowners haul foreign manufacturers of allegedly defective Chinese drywall into court. The Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009, introduced by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D- RI), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), seeks to make it easier to bring foreign companies before American courts. read more
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Florida Senator Bill Nelson recently sent a letter to President Obama asking the administration to streamline federal assistance available to homeowners with allegedly tainted Chinese drywall. Nelson requested “White House mobilization and coordination of all federal resources that could help homeowners” and stressed the need for an inter-agency Drywall Task Force to coordinate efforts and a “one-stop federal Drywall Assistance Center” that could provide information and resources directly to impacted homeowners. read more
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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently conducted comparative testing on drywall manufactured in China and the United States. As reported here, here, and here, Chinese drywall emits fumes that allegedly smell like rotten eggs, cause health problems and corrode metal in thousands of new homes built between 2002 and 2007. Complaints have been registered nationwide but are concentrated in the Southeast, particularly in Florida.
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The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance (the “Subcommittee”) will hold the first Congressional hearings on Chinese Drywall on May 21st at 10:30 a.m. The Subcommittee intends to investigate the alleged health and product safety issues associated with Chinese Drywall. read more
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United States Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) filed legislation last week to recall and ban the use of Chinese drywall in the United States. read more
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Historically, builders used drywall (a/k/a sheetrock, gypsum board or wallboard) that was manufactured in the United States for residential construction. However, during the construction boom years of 2002-2007, a shortage of domestic drywall forced many builders to purchase product that was manufactured in China. read more
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