Formaldehyde Risks in Lumber Liquidators Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring from China sold by Lumber Liquidators has been found to contain 20 times more cancer-causing formaldehyde than is legally permitted.
According to the CBS program, 60 Minutes, an environmental attorney has filed a class action lawsuit against Lumber Liquidators. The attorney argues that their Chinese laminate flooring, which has been used in construction projects across the United States, has failed to meet standards for toxic emissions.
Even though formaldehyde is known to cause respiratory conditions and cancer, it is legal for laminate flooring to contain traces of the chemical, which is often used in cheap flooring glue.
Testing Lumber Liquidators Laminate Flooring
Drury and Denny Larson, who head up Global Community Monitor, an environmental non-profit agency, tested 150 containers of Lumber Liquidators laminate flooring. They found each and every one made in China greatly exceeded the state-required limit of formaldehyde. Most of them were 7 times the amount of the state standard. Some were almost 20 times more than the legal amount. Drury told 60 Minutes that the levels were so high that the test lab thought their machine was broken.
Laminates made in America that were sold at Lumber Liquidators had a legal level of the toxin. Flooring sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s also had acceptable levels.
60 Minutes performed tests on flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators at their stores in Florida, Virginia, Illinois, Texas and New York. Out of the 31 boxes that were tested, only 1 was found to meet the formaldehyde limit. Environmental advocates are accusing Lumber Liquidators of skimping on state regulations by using glues that are rich in formaldehyde and are cheaper that the safe glue alternatives.
The founder and Chairman of Lumber Liquidators, Tom Sullivan, stated that they are not required to run tests on the finished flooring. He told 60 Minutes that he will have the Chinese factories that make the flooring investigated.
60 Minutes went right to the source, CHINA, and recorded the factory managers saying they mislabeled toxic flooring as safe.
Dangers to Consumers
Larson says that Lumber Liquidators is guilty of selling a product that could make people very sick. Breathing the toxic formaldehyde glue fumes can cause severe health problems including cancer and asthma. The risk is especially serious for babies and toddlers who spend a majority of their time playing on the floor.
What Should You Do?
If you bought and installed laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators, find a company that can test your floors for you to see if you have the contaminated flooring in your home. If so, you need to present these findings to your attorney. You may be able to join the class action lawsuit against Lumber Liquidators.
If you are a current or former employee of Lumber Liquidators who has handled this toxic flooring, become sick from it, or have any information about it, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney right away.
If you believe you have a case against Lumber Liquidators, do not hesitate to get in touch with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
CONTACT the Lieser Law Firm TODAY for a FREE legal consultation.