60 Minutes, the long-running and popular TV news magazine ran an article last night about Lumber Liquidators. Lumber Liquidators sells laminate wood flooring, and has more than 22 stores in Florida, and several hundred across the United States.
The 60 Minutes article detailed how Lumber Liquidators uses manufacturing plants in China to produce its wood laminate flooring. These plants use formaldehyde, a known cancer causing agent, to glue the flooring together. And although some levels of formaldehyde are acceptable in the production of wood laminate flooring, the Lumber Liquidators flooring tested by 60 Minutes exceeded the acceptable government levels in 30 out of 31 samples tested. What is even worse is that the flooring packaging contains a label indicating the level of formaldehyde meets government standards. Yet the Lumber Liquidators flooring tested by 60 minutes failed to meet the government standards.
The problem with having this defective flooring in a house is that most people eat, live and sleep in the house for many hours a day, thereby inhaling the toxic fumes given off by formaldehyde. Products that use excessive amounts of formaldehyde are known to cause and/or contribute to cancer. If you have wood laminate flooring purchased from Lumber Liquidators, you should immediately have the flooring tested to determine whether it is safe to have in your house.
The Maus Law Firm is investigating the filing of a class action against Lumbar Liquidators to recover damages for people that have the poisonous flooring already in place at their house or business, and the expense of having the flooring removed and replaced. If you know of anybody that has the flooring already in place, please have them contact our office immediately.