Sarasota Personal Injury Lawyer - Toxic Substances

Time Running Out on Chinese Drywall Class Action Lawsuit

Joe Saunders — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:03:43 GMT

The deadline for inclusion in the Chinese drywall class lawsuit against defendant Knauf is only a few weeks away. If your home has been affected by Chinese drywall and you'd like to participate in the class action lawsuit, now is the time to contact a lawyer so that a home inspection can be scheduled to determine if the Chinese drywall in your home was manufactured by Knauf. Once this deadline passes, you may miss the opportunity to recover damages against the company for the damage to your home. Names of those affected by the Knauf Chinese drywall must be submitted no later than December 2, 2009.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Class Action Lawsuit Deadline Looming Against Defendant Knauf

Joe Saunders — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:47:05 GMT

The class action lawsuit against one of the largest Chinese drywall defendants, Knauf Tianjin, has a very tight deadline for those to join the omnibus class action lawsuit, December 2, 2009. Knauf, one of the main importers of the Chinese drywall into the US, agreed to accept service in the United States. However, the December 2nd deadline will not allow any exceptions.

If you suspect you have a Chinese drywall problem in your home and you want to participate in the Chinese drywall class action lawsuit, you must call an attorney immediately. Failure to act promptly may result in the forfeiture of your legal rights concerning Chinese drywall problems.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Homeowners Receive Property Value Reduction in Lee County

Joe Saunders — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:14:39 GMT

Homes that have been affected by the Chinese Drywall debacle in Lee County will receive a 50% reduction in their market value according to Ken Wilkinson, Lee County property appraiser. According to a story in the News-Press, 1,086 homeowners in Lee County were sent letters informing them of the reduction in market value due to the Chinese Drywall problem.

The residents that receive the market value reduction have had to meet the criteria established by Florida's Department of Health.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Townhall Held in Lee County

Joe Saunders — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:57:18 GMT

Chinese drywall concerns led many Lee County residents to attend a town hall style forum to hear experts discuss the problem in Cape Coral yesterday. The attendees heard presentations from Jason Robertson of Urban Habitats, U.S. Building Consultants Inc., Forensic Investigator and Consultant Spiderman Mulholland. The growing Chinese drywall contamination problem began in Florida a few years ago and has affected thousands of Florida residents and many others across the country.

The contaminated Chinese drywall had been imported during the construction boom and has led to a federal investigation of the issue. It's estimated that approximately 36,000 Florida homes are contaminated with the tainted drywall. According to Spiderman Mulholland, who called the problem the biggest environmental disaster in US history,

"I believe we won't fully know what we're dealing with for at least another year or two," he said, adding that medical experts predict it will take about 3 and a half years before the adverse health effects caused by hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals in the drywall will be thoroughly understood.

Physical evidence suggests Chinese drywall causes health problems and could even threaten lives, and chemical treatments are ineffective, Mulholland said.

"If you have Chinese drywall in your home, you need to get it out," he said. "It would be nice to leave the drywall in and just fix the problem, but that's not going to happen, not if you want to get back the value of your home."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Electronic Cigarettes Receive FDA Warning

Joe Saunders — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:28:50 GMT

The FDA has issued a public health warning about the e-cigarettes being aggressively marketed to younger smokers. The electronic cigarettes contain a chemical found in anti-freeze, diethylene glycol as well as known carcinogens. These cigarettes are filled with highly-addictive nicotine and flavors that are converted into vapor inhaled by the smoker.

These cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation so there's no telling what other types of toxic chemicals are contained in the e-cigarettes. According to the FDA advisory, "The FDA’s Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, the FDA’s analyses detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans, and in several other samples, the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines. These tests indicate that these products contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could potentially be exposed.

The FDA has been examining and detaining shipments of e-cigarettes at the border and the products it has examined thus far meet the definition of a combination drug-device product under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA has been challenged regarding its jurisdiction over certain e-cigarettes in a case currently pending in federal district court. The agency is also planning additional activities to address its concerns about these products."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Federal Lawmakers Are Calling For Probe of Chinese Drywall Distributors

Joe Saunders — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:17:30 GMT

US Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Sarasota) has joined US Senator Bill Nelson in calling for a federal probe of the Chinese drywall fiasco. Buchanan has asked the US Trade Representative and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. Buchanan's office issued a press release last week after constituents began complaining about the foul odor emanating from the drywall as well as other structural damage to their homes.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Homeowners Regret Signing Lennar Waiver

Joe Saunders — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:23:35 GMT

In a new twist to this southwest Florida Chinese drywall saga, homeowners are beginning to question the wisdom of signing waivers prepared by the home builder Lennar. Some homeowners whose property has been adversely affected by the odor and contamination of the Chinese drywall are concerned that the offer of help won't resolve the problems in their homes. While Lennar has agreed to remove the drywall in the affected homes, such things as wiring and the foul odor that still remains in these homes.

The homeowners are complaining that the "take it or leave it" waiver was signed under coercion. Some homeowners are beginning to notice such personal effects as art and jewelry have been adversely affected by the noxious gases from the Chinese drywall. However, the waiver doesn't cover any of these items, effectively giving Lennar immunity from any liability.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

FDA Takes Action on Chinese Imports

Joe Saunders — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:21:55 GMT

The FDA has halted Chinese food products that may contain milk until it can be determined if the products have been contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine. The products were stopped at the border and not allowed entry into the US. Melamine tainted milk and baby formula has sickened 50,000 Chinese babies and has been linked to three infant deaths. The formula had been tainted with the toxin in order to artificially inflate protein levels.

While the FDA will halt shipment of certain foods imported into the US, their action is rare. Because it dissolves poorly, melamine can block the body’s filtering system, potentially leading to kidney failure and death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Contaminated Groundwater Found in Sarasota County Landfill

Joe Saunders — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:11:03 GMT

Unsafe levels of iron, arsenic and ammonia have been discovered in the Central County landfill causing concerns about other landfills and a project at Cowpen Slough to convert its water into drinking water. The County is about to sign a consent order with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in order to test the water and clean up the contaminated plume.

According to a Sarasota Herald Tribune article, " what was found was arsenic at 3 to 11 times the safe drinking water standard. High levels of ammonia and very high levels of iron were also found. Although the contamination does not pose an immediate threat to public health, it does affect county trash and water operations."

At this point, county officials do not believe the plume will migrate and the contaminated area is located in a remote area of the county. However, it's worth keeping an eye on the issue in the interests of public safety.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders