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.
As initially reported here, scores of lawsuits have been filed all over the country claiming that imported Chinese manufactured drywall emits sulfuric gases that corrode copper components and allegedly presents human health hazards.
As previously reported, Judge Eldon Fallon, a federal trial court judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana, is presiding over the Chinese Drywall Multi-District Litigation (MDL). The VIOXX MDL litigation was also assigned to Judge Fallon, who is renowned for his ability to handle large, complex products liability cases involving multiple parties. As reported here, the issue of jurisdiction over the foreign manufacturers, who are critical defendants in the lawsuit, thus far has been at the forefront of the MDL proceedings. Another large Chinese drywall manufacturer, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, has already entered an appearance in the MDL.
