Gibbs Law Group LLP files three lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators for allegedly toxic flooring

On March 9, 2015, Gibbs Law Group LLP filed the first of three federal class action lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators on behalf of customers nationwide who purchased laminate wood flooring from the company that was made in China.  These lawsuits allege that this flooring contains potentially dangerous and illegal levels of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical.  The lawsuits are called Ezovski v. Lumber Liquidators, Inc., Case No. 15-cv-1074; Doss v. Lumber Liquidators, Inc., Case No. 15-cv-1225; and Picard v. Lumber Liquidators, Inc., Case No. 15-cv-1460, and are currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The lawsuits allege that Lumber Liquidators represented to consumers that its laminate wood flooring sourced from Chinese factories complied with California regulations when, in fact, the formaldehyde levels in the flooring actually exceeded those permitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), as well federal law slated to take effect later this year concerning composite wood emissions standards.

Gibbs Law Group filed the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuits in the wake of a 60 Minutes investigative report aired on March 2, 2015, that first alerted the public to the potential dangers of Lumber Liquidators’ Chinese-made flooring. The report features undercover video footage of the company’s Chinese factories, where foreman indicate that certain Lumber Liquidators laminate flooring does not comply with California regulations.

Lawsuit states Lumber Liquidators earned over $1 billion in wood flooring sales

According to the foreman in the undercover footage, it is significantly more cost-effective to manufacture laminate wood flooring that is not CARB-compliant.  Using formaldehyde to manufacture laminate wood panels increases production rates and cuts costs enormously, the lawsuit states.  Though a certain amount of formaldehyde is present in most laminate wood flooring products, certified laboratory testing of the flooring revealed levels of formaldehyde up to 20 times the legal level, the lawsuits allege.

According to the lawsuits, Lumber Liquidators cut manufacturing costs at the expense of consumers and deceived its customers about the safety of its laminate flooring in an effort to increase profits.  In 2014 alone, Lumber Liquidators sold over 310 million square feet of flooring through over 620,000 transactions and earned over $1 billion—nearly a 5% increase from 2013.

The lawsuit states that Lumber Liquidators’ founder and CEO Tom Sullivan continues to represent to the public that all of the company’s products are “100 percent safe.”

Did you purchase Lumber Liquidators laminate wood flooring?

Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical linked to the development of leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer, as well as respiratory problems such as changes in lung function, difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.  According to the lawsuit, the United States National Toxicology Program and Europe’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classify formaldehyde as a human carcinogen.

If you purchased laminate wood flooring from a Lumber Liquidators location and wish to participate in the formaldehyde wood flooring lawsuit, call Gibbs Law Group’ consumer attorneys for a free consultation at (510) 350-9704.

About our law firm

Gibbs Law Group LLP is a San Francisco-based national litigation firm with experience representing individuals, institutions, and business clients in cases involving securities, antitrust, personal injury, whistleblower laws, consumer protection, and employment laws. Founding partners Daniel Girard and Eric Gibbs have been recognized among the “Top 100 Super Lawyers” in Northern California, and both have earned AV-Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell, recognizing them in the highest class of attorneys for professional ethics and legal skills.