Girard Gibbs LLP has filed three federal class action lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators alleging the company deceived consumers when it manufactured and sold laminate wood flooring that emits potentially harmful amounts of noxious formaldehyde gas. The lawsuits were filed following a 60 Minutes report exposing the results of formaldehyde testing performed on the company’s Chinese-made laminate flooring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on February 22, 2016 that it previously miscalculated the amount of formaldehyde emitted from some of Lumber Liquidators’ laminated flooring products. The CDC stated that the risk of cancer from this formaldehyde emission is three times higher than it previously estimated. The CDC previously announced that the risk of cancer presented by the Lumber Liquidators products was two to nine cases per 100,000 people. The CDC now believes that the risk is six to 30 cases per 100,000 people. The CDC strongly recommends that customers who purchased Lumber Liquidators’ laminated flooring take steps to reduce exposure.

Its fundamental recommendations to customers of these products remain the same: to open windows, use exhaust fans, and avoid smoking in the home, among other things. It released a flyer outlining general health issues and solutions related to the flooring. If you’ve purchased laminate wood flooring from Lumber Liquidators and are concerned about formaldehyde levels in your home, you may be eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit. Contact our class action attorneys at (800) 254-9493 for more information and for a free consultation. Certified laboratory testing performed on laminate wood flooring purchased from Lumber Liquidators locations in Virginia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and New York revealed levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, that exceed those permitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, which will take effect nationwide this year. According to this testing, certain laminate flooring samples contained up to 20 times the legal level of formaldehyde.

The 60 Minutes report indicates that these extreme levels of formaldehyde raised concern among laboratory employees, who suspected that their testing equipment may be faulty. On May 7, 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that “Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. is pulling all of its Chinese-made laminate flooring and has brought on a former Federal Bureau of Investigation director to review its sourcing procedures amid widespread concern over the safety of its products.”How Much Does Epoxy Flooring Cost Per Square Foot Despite Lumber Liquidators’ “Quality Guarantee” indicating that its “flooring meets or exceeds rigorous emissions standards such as California CARB,” it is illegal to sell the company’s Chinese-made laminate flooring in California, where environmental emissions standards are particularly stringent.700 Lbs Weight Loss

The following types of Lumber Liquidators lumber may contain excessive and illegal amounts of formaldehyde: Other types of Chinese-made laminate sold at Lumber Liquidators may also be affected.Car Air Purifier For Smokers 60 Minutes has reported that Lumber Liquidators has made large profits from the illegal sale of its potentially dangerous flooring products. It is estimated that producing laminate flooring tainted with formaldehyde and which is not CARB-compliant cuts manufacturing costs by up to 15%, an enormous margin for a company of its scale. In 2013, Lumber Liquidators’ stock price nearly doubled. At present, Lumber Liquidators is the largest and fastest-growing retailer of hardwood flooring in North America. The company has sold approximately $200 million or more in laminate wood flooring products annually since 2012. Following news of its formaldehyde-containing flooring, however, LL stock plummeted 25%.

According to news reports formaldehyde is a known cancer-causing chemical linked to the development of leukemia; nasopharyngeal cancer (cancer of the upper portion of the throat); change in lung function; and eye, nose, and throat irritation. 60 Minutes has reported that the danger of formaldehyde in flooring products is particularly acute, as the chemicals escape from laminate wood and permeate the air in rooms and entire homes, creating polluted indoor conditions as per the Environmental Protection Agency. Though the formaldehyde-containing laminate flooring may not produce symptoms in everyone, it will produce the most severe symptoms in children according to 60 Minutes. A certain amount of formaldehyde is present and legally permissible in laminate flooring manufactured by Lumber Liquidators in America, and by other companies. Laminate wood flooring is a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring, and is manufactured by binding wood particles together with glue often containing formaldehyde, and then covering the particles with a layer of protective laminate.

News reports have stated that the layer of laminate may prevent a certain amount of formaldehyde from escaping from the wood and into the environment.The Colors of Style Locking Technologies and OptiGuard Laminate Flooring Finish Learn More and Find Store Understand how to properly care for laminate planks and tiles Get The Facts About Laminate Care Get the installation instructions and tools for your laminate wood install floor View Laminate Installation Information See what options you have for your underlaymentThe lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard LLP are investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of consumers who purchased or who own potentially dangerous and toxic laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators that was made in China. On March 1, 2015, the investigative television news program 60 Minutes aired a story alleging that Lumber Liquidators had been selling Chinese-made laminate flooring that appeared to contain cancer-causing formaldehyde at toxic levels that were 6 to 7 times higher than allowed under applicable state guidelines. 

This serious health and safety issue has the potential to impact hundreds of thousands of households, if not more, given that Lumber Liquidators has approximately 347 store locations in 46 states in the United States, and sells flooring products to primarily homeowners and contractors. Lumber Liquidators initially denied any wrongdoing and alleged that it was being attacked, and stated it was contemplating a lawsuit against 60 Minutes.  On March 13, 2015, CNBC reported that Lumber Liquidators stated it would not stop selling Chinese laminate alleged to contain unsafe levels of formaldehyde. But Lumber Liquidators’ defiant tune has changed.  On April 29, 2015, Lumber Liquidators revealed that it is the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s office based on its laminate flooring from China.  On May 7, 2015, the company stated it was suspending all sales of all laminate flooring from China.  On May 21, 2015, the CEO of Lumber Liquidators resigned suddenly.