ClassAction.org is reporting that a putative class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of homeowners who purchased hardwood flooring from Lumber Liquidators and alleges that the flooring emits dangerous levels of formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. While Lumber Liquidators claims to be in compliance with federal limits on formaldehyde emissions, an independent investigation found that the company’s Mayflower Bund Birch Engineered flooring emitted three-and-a-half times the amount of formaldehyde allowed by law, according to the lawsuit. Furthermore, a raid at the company’s headquarters revealed that it may be illegally harvesting wood from forests in eastern Russia, which are inhabited by critically endangered wildlife species. The plaintiffs claim that the flooring has now diminished in value and put homeowners at risk for serious health issues.
According to the lawsuit, Lumber Liquidators advertises its flooring as being compliant with the federal legal levels for formaldehyde emissions, which were adapted from the California Air Resources Board (CARB); however, blogger Xuhua Zhou of the website Seeking Alpha took part in an independent study in 2013 that found Lumber Liquidators’ Mayflower Bund Birch Engineered hardwood emitted more than three-and-a-half times the legal level for formaldehyde. Following Zhou’s investigation, Lumber Liquidators allegedly failed to acknowledge his results and instead, launched a clearance sale to “get rid of existing inventory faster,” Zhou said. Three months after the investigation, Lumber Liquidators’ headquarters and neighboring corporate office in Virginia were raided by the United States Federal Special Agents. The raid found that the company was harvesting timber from forests in eastern Russia (which house critically endangered species) and later processing that timber in China.
Although formaldehyde is a colorless gas, some homeowners with Lumber Liquidators hardwood flooring said they immediately noticed a smell coming from the wood, which was later identified as formaldehyde emissions, the lawsuit alleges. While short-term exposure to formaldehyde may cause problems including asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, long-term exposure may increase an individual’s risk of developing cancer, according to the lawsuit.
The three named plaintiffs in the lawsuit purchased Lumber Liquidators’ Mayflower Birch brand flooring, Morningstar Bamboo flooring and Dream Home – St. James Blacksburg Barn Board brand flooring, all of which were manufactured in China. They allege that they sustained financial losses after purchasing Lumber Liquidators’ hardwood flooring and are seeking compensation for the cost of installation and removal, remediation, restocking fees and other losses.
The class action lawsuit seeks to represent all persons and entities in the United States who purchased and installed hardwood flooring from Lumber Liquidators that was sourced, processed or manufactured in China.
If you had Lumber Liquidators’ hardwood flooring installed in your home, you may be able to seek compensation for the cost of installation and removal of your flooring. Visit http://www.classaction.org/lumber-liquidators today and fill out our free case review form to learn more.
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