Jeffrey Kottkamp, the Lieutenant Governor of Florida, and his wife have filed a Chinese drywall lawsuits.
According to News-Press.com, the Kottkamp’s allege that Chinese drywall has corroded air conditioning coils and other interior fixtures and has caused family members to have allergic reactions, coughing, infections, irritation and breathing problems. They claim that Knauf Gips KG and Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. LTD “manufactured, processed, distributed, delivered, supplied, inspected, marketed and/or sold” defective Chinese drywall in their North Fort Meyers home. According to News-Press.com, the lawsuit seeks $75,000 in damages.
The Kottkamp’s lawsuit will join hundreds of other Chinese drywall cases that have been consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Judge Eldon E. Fallon, a veteran of such mass litigation, has put the Chinese drywall MDL on a “fast-track”, and plans to start trying bellwether cases in January.
Consumers in 24 states have filed a total of 1,174 Chinese drywall complaints with the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Gases emitted from the drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode.
