NEW ORLEANS – A couple is suing Lumber Liquidators over allegations of high levels of formaldehyde in wood flooring they purchased from the company.
Fannie Jackson and Mark Jackson filed a lawsuit on March 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Lumber Liquidators Inc., Lumber Liquidators Leasing LLC, Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., and Lumber Liquidators Services LLC, citing redhibition, breach of warranty, violation of the Louisiana Products Liability Act, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation.
According to the suit, formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen and is classified as a volatile organic compound, which is a chemical that becomes a gas at room temperature. The defendants are accused of importing, falsely warranting, advertising and selling Chinese flooring in the U.S. that fails to comply with relevant and applicable formaldehyde standards, rendering the flooring defective.
The plaintiffs claim to have purchased 1,069.81 square feet of St. James/African Mahogany laminate flooring from the Lumber Liquidators store in Harahan, on Feb. 6, 2009, Feb. 14, 2009, and Jan. 24, 2015, for $2,590.99. The flooring was manufactured in China, and the plaintiff avers that the packaging was misleading in regards to the levels of formaldehyde. The plaintiff claims he would not have purchased the flooring with this knowledge.
The Jacksons seek compensatory damages, equitable and/or injunctive relief, payment of costs, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, expert fees and a trial by jury. They are represented by Russ M. Herman, Leonard A. Davis and Stephen J. Herman of Herman, Herman & Katz LLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-01768-LMA-SS