Norfolk, VA (May 1, 2009) - The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, P.C., along with a consortium of other national law firms, announced today that they filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk on behalf of all Virginia homeowners whose residences contain defective Chinese drywall. The lawsuit is captioned Germano, et al., v. Taishan Gypsum Co., Ltd., et al. The Defendants are Taishan Gypsum Co., Ltd. (a Chinese drywall manufacturer), its U.S. distributor, Venture Supply, Inc. and its installer, Porter-Blaine Corporation, as well as a local homebuilder. This defective Chinese drywall is currently being investigated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several federal law makers. The drywall, imported into the U.S. by distributors and homebuilders and installed in a large number Virginia homes, is causing serious problems by emitting sulfides and other toxic gases into homes.
In addition to creating noxiousodors, the gases emitted from this drywall cause the accelerated corrosion of air conditioner and refrigerator coils, kitchen appliances and utensils, electrical wiring, electronic or computer devices, and other metal surfaces and household items. Long-term exposure to low-levels of sulfides has also been associated with several health conditions including fatigue, headaches, irritability, dizziness, and neurologic issues.
The plaintiffs are seeking broad relief for affected homeowners, ranging from repair and replacement of homes and property devaluation damages to medical testing for illnesses related to the drywall exposure.
"Defective Chinese drywall is destroying thousands of consumers' homes and threatening their health," said Richard Serpe, a lead attorney on the case. "Manufacturers, suppliers, and builders have failed to properly investigate the damage this drywall is causing. They have been slow to acknowledge the problems that exist and provide appropriate compensation to impacted homeowners."
The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, P.C. have teamed up with Hausfeld LLP, a global plaintiffs law firm in Washington, DC, to help prosecute the case. Additional co-counsel include Ervin Gonzalez of Colson, Hicks, Eidson and Arnold Levin of Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, among others.
In addition to filing the action in Virginia, this team has also filed similar cases in Florida and is actively investigating homeowner complaints in numerous other states including Louisiana, California, and New York.
For more information please contact attorney Richard J. Serpe at 757-233-0009. Electronic copies of the Complaint and related materials can be found at: www.ChineseDrywallClaims.com