The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has ordered all federally filed lawsuits against MI Windows and Doors, Inc. be consolidated in multidistrict litigation and transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina under the Honorable Chief Judge David C. Norton.

MI Windows and Doors had opposed the centralization of the lawsuits arguing that it would not appropriate, however the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP moved to have the lawsuits transferred to South Carolina on behalf of their client Craig Hildebrand. Jordan Chaikan, Partner at Parker Waichman LLP said, “We are pleased with the JPML’s decision to consolidate and transfer the case to the District of South Carolina before the Honorable Chief Judge David C. Norton. The skill and experience Judge David C. Norton brings to this case will steer this litigation on a prudent course.” More MI Windows and Doors Lawsuits Consolidated in MDL

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed over CSST, a plastic-coated, flexible, gas line made of corrugated stainless steel tubing and lightning-related gas leaks and fires. CSST was developed to prevent breaks during earthquakes in Japan, however the tubing is being used often in the United States in new home developments.

Fire officials are concerned that electrical charges from nearby lightning strikes can travel along the tubing and cause punctures that are igniting fires and causing gas leaks. More Lawsuits Filed Over Stainless Steel Flexible Gas Line Fires

The manufacturer of toxic Chinese drywall has agreed to pay $800 million to settle thousands of claims from homeowners who say the defective building material has caused extensive property damage and health side effects.

According to a Bloomberg report, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. agreed to the terms of a settlement with approximately 4.500 homeowners who had the company’s toxic drywall installed in their home.

Chinese drywall became a popular, inexpensive alternative to domestically-produced wallboard during the housing boom earlier this decade. It was used throughout states where new homes were built in the thousands and Knauf already faces more than 12,000 damage claims from homeowners with the plaster board installed in their homes. Because the toxic drywall uses inferior products and wasn’t manufactured properly it led to myriad problems for homeowners and the contractors who built the homes. More Knauf Plasterboard agrees to $800M settlement with 4,500 homeowners for toxic Chinese drywall

A lawsuit filed against one of the country’s largest gypsum wallboard manufacturers, claiming the wallboard exhibited the same characteristics of the defective Chinese Drywall has been dismissed by Marshall County, Alabama Circuit Court Judge Tim Jolley.

The lawsuit, Clark vs. National Gypsum, was dismissed with prejudice, which means the plaintiffs are forbidden from bringing the same claim against the company at a later date. More Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against National Gypsum over Chinese Drywall-like Defects

Robert A. Patrick with law firm Parker Waichman Alonso LLC., has filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri against Gentek Building Products and Associated Material LLC., on behalf of anyone who owns, owned, or acquired homes, building, or structures located in the U.S. with Gentek steel exterior siding products installed from 1986 to the present.

According to the lawsuit, Gentek siding is severely defective and “warps, cracks, buckles, flakes, peels, splits, discolors, deteriorates,” within the warranty period. The lawsuit says the defects result in moisture invasion and water damage. Gentek sells the siding with a “Lifetime Warranty,” though the company has refused to “fully repair the damage caused by the premature failure of its products.” The complaint also states that Gentek has refused and continues to refuse to notify consumers that defects and failures are associated with the siding, and continues to engage in a “uniform practice of denying warranty claims.” More Lawsuit Filed Against Gentek Building Products

South Florida homeowners impacted by the harmful effects of toxic and defective Chinese drywall are continuing their legal pursuit for damages compensation.

According to a report this week from The Miami Herald, some distraught and frustrated homeowners are targeting the manufacturer and distributor of the defective Chinese drywall with lawsuits. Lawyers for those affected homeowners have filed lawsuits against Knauf Plasterboard, a German company, its Chinese-based manufacturing company, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, and Banner Supply Co., the Florida company which sold and knowingly distributed the toxic drywall to homebuilders across the state through the last decade.

Florida experienced a tremendous housing boom during the last decade and to meet the demands caused by it, some home builders opted for a less expensive Chinese alternative to a traditional American product. Using substandard materials and a shoddy manufacturing process, homeowners whose houses were built using this defective product soon experienced its harmful effects. More South Florida homeowners file lawsuits against Chinese drywall manufacturer, distributor

U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Person denied a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by 9 homeowners in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Idaho alleging that siding manufactured by Gentek Building Products Inc., is defective and prematurely chips and peels.

Judge Peason also ruled that company’s motion to strike the Gentek siding class action lawsuit was premature, as the Court had not yet adjudicated class action certification. More Gentek Siding Lawsuit Will Not Be Dismissed

James Vander Veer has filed a class action lawsuit in New Jersey federal court against wood shingle manufacturer Maibec Inc., alleging the shingles warp and crack long before the end of the 50-year warranty.

The lawsuit claims that the eastern white cedar tree shingles fail early, and that Maibec does not uniformly honor the warranty obligations. “Contrary to Maibec’s representations and its illusory warranty, its shingles are plagued by design flaws that result in warping, peeling, cracking, buckling and curling,” Vander Veer said. “Yet Maibec continues to sell them to the public and continues to make false representations and warranties,” Law360 reported. More Faulty Shingles Prompt Lawsuit Against Maibec

In a Florida lawsuit, Judge Robert Foster rules that damage caused by Chinese Drywall to an Odessa homeowner is covered by his insurance policy.

The lawsuit involves Craig and Melissa Walker of Odessa Florida. The Walkers had to move out of their house two years after moving in, because of the Chinese Drywall. They brought suit against their insurance company, Springfield, Ill-based Teachers Insurance Co, for not covering the damages, claiming that they paid for insurance that would cover unexpected loss, and that their loss was “no different than any other unexpected loss and should be treated no differently than other losses, like lightning or fire.” More Florida Judge Rules Insurance Covers Chinese Drywall