Chinese Laminate Flooring Class Action Settlement

UPDATE 2:

• A payment delay in this settlement has been resolved, and the settlement administrator confirmed Aug. 16, 2021, that checks will go out within one month.
• Please do not contact counsel for plaintiff or defense.
• Please continue to be patient. Top Class Actions will post an update once checks are in the mail.

UPDATE:

• The Chinese Laminate Flooring Class Action Settlement was granted final approval Oct. 19, 2020.
• Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Did you have Chinese laminate flooring installed between 2012 and 2016? You may be eligible to claim a 50% or 100% refund from a class action settlement. 

The $2 million settlement resolves allegations that Eternity Floors d/b/a L.A. Hardwood Floors sold Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2016 that contained higher formaldehyde emissions than what is allowed under California law. Eternity Floors denies these allegations.

Since the laminate flooring was mainly sold to contractors who installed the flooring for residential customers, many individuals may not realize they have the affected flooring installed in their home. If you had new laminate flooring installed at any time between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2016, you are encouraged to look through your invoice to see if the flooring was manufactured by Eternity Floors d/b/a L.A. Hardwood Floors. If you do not have an invoice, you can ask your contractor or installer to verify where the purchase was made.

L.A. Hardwood Floors has agreed to pay $1 million in cash and another $1 million in store vouchers to end class action allegations that the formaldehyde emissions coming from Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring was in violation of the Airborne Toxic Control Measure found in Chapter 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

In addition, the L.A. Hardwood Floors class action settlement resolves allegations that its Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring was misrepresented as being durable and having a better abrasion rating than customers actually experienced.

Eternity Floors expressly denies the allegations and admits to no fault or liability but agreed to settle due to the expense and inconvenience of further litigation.

Under the terms of the settlement, Class Members have been divided into two Classes – Verified Purchasers and Other Purchasers.

Verified Purchasers are Class Members who are able to provide proof of purchase with their claim form including invoices, sales receipts, or other written documents that confirms the sale of the flooring. Verified Purchasers can claim cash or store vouchers equal to 100 percent of the original purchase price.

Other Purchasers are Class Members who are unable to provide proof of purchase but submit photographs of their flooring and provide the name of the retail store and date of purchase. Other Purchasers can request cash or store vouchers totaling 50 percent of the purchase price.

The final payout amount will be adjusted on a pro rata basis as it will depend on if Class Members opt for the cash award or store voucher benefit.

If the settlement fund is not completely exhausted, Class Members may be awarded additional benefits.

Class Members must file a claim form no later than April 14, 2020 to get cash or store credit from this class action settlement.

Those who want to object or opt out of the settlement must do so by April 14, 2020. The final hearing is scheduled for May 18, 2020.

Who’s Eligible

All U.S. residents who purchased Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring from Eternity Flooring d/b/a L.A. Hardwood Floors between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2016.

As noted above, many individuals may not realize they have the affected flooring installed because they did not purchase it directly through Eternity Flooring d/b/a L.A. Hardwood Floors. If you had a contractor or other company install laminate floors between 2012 and 2016, you are encouraged to check your invoice or contact the installer directly to inquire about where they purchased the flooring. A verified purchase could mean that you receive a 100% refund!

Potential Award

50% to 100% refund.

Class Members who can provide proof of purchase along with their claim form are eligible for cash or store vouchers equal to 100 percent of the original purchase price. These Class Members are considered Verified Purchasers.

Those who are unable to provide proof of purchase are eligible for cash or store vouchers totaling 50 percent of the purchase price. These Class Members are considered Other Purchasers.

The amount each Class Member receives is also subject to a pro rata distribution, meaning that it is unknown at this time what the final payout will be as it depends on if Class Members choose the store voucher or cash award.

In the event that the settlement fund is not fully depleted, Class Members may receive additional benefits.

Verified Purchasers (those who provided proof of purchase) who opted for the cash award may receive up to 200 percent of the purchase price.

Other Purchasers (those who did not submit proof of purchase) who selected the cash award are eligible for up to 100 percent of the purchase price.

In the event that the total payout of store vouchers is less than $300,000, then Verified Purchasers who opted for the store credit may receive up to 250 percent of the purchase price. Other purchasers who selected the store voucher option can get up to 100 percent of the purchase price.

Proof of Purchase

Not required. However, Class Members who submit proof of purchase such as a sales receipt, invoice or other documents showing a purchase from Eternity Flooring or one of its distributors are eligible for cash or store vouchers equal to the original purchase price.

Those Class Members who are unable to provide proof of purchase but submit a photograph of their purchased product, the name of the retail store and date of when they purchased the flooring are eligible for cash or store vouchers totaling 50 percent of the original purchase price.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

4/14/2020

Case Name

Christopher Santiago, Julia Santiago, and Tim Tagle, et al. v. Eternity Floors d/b/a L.A. Hardwood Flooring Inc., et al., Case No. BC644600; and Yvette Thor, et al. v. L.A. Hardwood Flooring Inc. d/b/a Eternity Floors, et al., Case No. BC68534, both in the Superior Court of the State of California County of Los Angeles

Final Hearing

10/8/2020   UPDATED

Settlement Website

ChineseLaminateSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Eternity Flooring Products
c/o Settlement Administrator
1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103
1-855-668-7649
Info@ChineseLaminateSettlement.com