Two new articles on the Chinese Drywall fiasco. This Wall Street Journal article states the obvious:
The odors, respiratory complaints and corrosion blamed on drywall from China used in American homes may have been caused by the failure to remove sulfur and other contaminants from synthetic gypsum, some Chinese experts in building materials say.
I thought we already knew that sulfur in the drywall was the problem. On a more helpful note, the article list the symptoms suffered by some people with the Chinese Drywall in their new homes:
Homeowners who believe they have Chinese-made drywall have complained of itchy eyes and skin, runny noses, nosebleeds, headaches and asthma attacks, among other things. Patricia Williams, a toxicologist at the University of New Orleans hired by lawyers for some of the homeowners, says tests indicate they are being exposed to a variety of chemicals, including carbon disulfide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Some of these are people who lost their house in Katrina, so things have gone from worse to worse for them.
Another new article in the Kansas City Star points out that holding the Chinese manufactures liable in American Courts is difficult:
While everyone involved is likely to be sued – installers, contractors, distributors, importers and Chinese manufacturers – the last are the hardest to reach by far.
For starters, suing a Chinese company in a Chinese court isn’t a good idea for most American plaintiffs, said Michael Lyle, a seasoned international lawyer. “It’s like suing Michael Jordan in Chicago.”
Yet many Chinese manufacturers also evade trial in the U.S. simply by persuading judges that their companies had no substantial business presence in the states in which they’ve been sued. That’s not hard for Chinese manufacturers, which typically rely on independent importers to sell to the American market.
This will make plaintiff lawyers focus suits on American distributors.