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Lumber Liquidators has reached a proposed $30 million settlement with customers who claim that the company’s Morning Star Bamboo Flooring is defective.
If approved, the Lumber Liquidators settlement would benefit all customers in the U.S. and U.S. territories who purchased Morning Star Bamboo Flooring between Jan. 1, 2012 and March 15, 2019.
The proposed settlement would require Lumber Liquidators to pay $14 million in cash and $14 million in store credit vouchers to affected customers.
Reportedly, customers will be able to choose between cash and store credit vouchers and an additional $2 million could be added to the $14 million in credit if the number of voucher claims requires the addition. The customers explain that they assume that around 10 to 20 percent of the 300,000 Class Members will file claims for benefits.
Class representatives are asking for $7,500 each for their role in the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuit, and lawyers are asking for 33 percent of the total settlement amount — around $10 million, in addition to almost another $1 million to cover expenses.
The plaintiffs who filed the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuit note that the settlement deal was reached after arm’s-length negotiation, with the help of mediators. According to the plaintiffs, the settlement came after both the customers and the company “completed complex and substantial discovery.”
Allegedly, the customers made extensive requests for documentation from the company, and conducted witness depositions and inspections of Lumber Liquidators’ warranty claim submissions, with the help of the company.
The customers went on to say that the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuit was set to go to trial shortly, after it had been litigated for more than four years.
Dana Gold, Tammy Emery, Mary Louise Ference, Laura Norris, Donald Fursman and John Triana were previously granted Class certification for their Lumber Liquidators flooring defect class action lawsuit, but it was limited to residents in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The plaintiffs are now asking the court to approve a nationwide Class who purchased the defective flooring.
The customers filed their Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuit in December 2014, over allegations that Morning Star Bamboo Flooring was “unable to withstand normal variations in a home’s ambient moisture,” which caused the floor to gap, shrink, splinter, warp, and buckle.
Allegedly, one customers experienced her flooring cracking and splintering significantly very soon after it was installed. She says the home was unoccupied at the time, so the problem could not have been caused by her use of the floor.
Have you purchased flooring that you worry may be defective? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
Top Class Actions will post updates to this class action settlement as they become available. For the latest updates, keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter. You can also receive notifications when this article is updated by using your free Top Class Actions account and clicking the “Follow Article” button at the top of the post.
The customers are represented by Jeffrey B. Cereghino of Cereghino Law Group, Michael F. Ram of Robins Kaplan and Charles J. LaDuca, Brendan Thompson and Ralph Michael Smith of Cuneo Gilbert. The class is also represented by Beth E. Terrell and Jennifer Rust Murray of Terrell Marshall Law Group, Jordan L. Chaikin of Chaikin Law Firm PLLC, Daniel C. Calvert of Parker Waichman LLP, Michael McShane and Jonas P. Mann of Audet & Partners LLP, Robert K. Shelquist and Rebecca A. Peterson of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP, Charles E. Schaffer of Levin Fishbein Sedran & Berman and Erica C. Mirabella of Mirabella Law LLC.
The Lumber Liquidators Defective Bamboo Flooring Class Action Lawsuit is Gold v. Lumber Liquidators Inc., Case No. 3:14-cv-05373, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
UPDATE: December 2019, the Lumber Liquidators flooring class action settlement website is active. Click here to learn more.
UPDATE 2: January 2020, the Lumber Liquidators flooring class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.
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66 thoughts onLumber Liquidators Will Pay $30M To Settle Flooring Class Action
I am having a problem with my Morning Star bamboo flooring and need to replace most of it. When I went to see if I can find the same one to match the bad areas instead of replacing everything, I found this was an issue for many people. What happens if we were never informed of this? I don’t understand why I was not included in this.
I was told that my flooring had formaldehyde in it back in 2014 from flooring I installed in 2009. Lumber Liquidators contacted me and I filled out a form for a full refund which I never received. Then received a letter stating that my flooring from China was fine and not to worry. Then they discontinued that flooring and I never heard from them again. So I’m just stuck with this flooring. Family member’s installed LL flooring and now are ripping out $6000 in flooring and tearing up their entire home because of the formaldehyde thing again. Wtf. I also have copd now and I had cancer for 11 years. I should get some kind of settlement instead of being brushed off
Oh my gosh! I am having the same issue! I was talked into this flooring and better padding. I immediately saw issues with small ripples and when any water did hit it at all it ruined those places immediately when I was told it was waterproof and the concern I had when buying was I needed a floor that did well with water. I was told this was the flooring I needed. I only had it in over a year when I saw it needed to be replaced. I contacted my insurance company thinking it what what I had to do. When they came out they. Said it was the floor itself as the entire house had ripples throughout it and therefore denied my claim. They said I needed to contact the flooring company as the floor was not what it was suppose to be . I am in that process now. I am very disappointned and hoping for a refund .
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We purchased this flooring in 2016 and immediately knew something was wrong. Within 2 weeks the floor had gaps. Went back and forth with the builder. They blamed it on humidity. The house is a rental. Our tenants complained about the floor. They even knew something was wrong with the floor. The gaps, the creaking noise when you walk on it, the buckling. This is the worst floor I have ever seen. We need to replace it. I even called LL a few months after install asking if they had any prior complaints or issues with the floor. Of course, they told me no.
Same! Within the first weeks. Gaps, shrinking, splintering. We spent so much putting these floors in throughout our home and we still have a big pile of wood in our basement that was supposed to be for the rest of the house but of course, we’re not going to use it. I was so excited for these floors and now I just cry every time I look at them.
Anyone having issues with “luxury vinyl” flooring? Spent over 10k for the whole house because it’s advertised as water and scratch proof but it has chipped and scratched in less than 6 months and we were careful!
My floors are about a year old and already needs to be replaced. Any water at all makes a bubble at the seams and the sides curl up. I did, however get a letter about a lawsuit that I am included in. I think cardboard would have held up better.
Yes!!! I too am having the same problem. I wonder if LL just slapped a new name on the old product and continued to sell the defective one. I had the WORST experience with their company. Everything is “the installers fault” and I felt swindled after spending several thousands of dollars a year ago for a floor I now hate. :(