Plaintiffs File DuraPro Lawsuit Over Product’s Latent Defects

A group of plaintiffs filed a DuraPro lawsuit against Interline Brands, alleging the product had significant latent defects.

The product at the center of this DuraPro lawsuit is the Flexible Plumbing Toilet Connectors that Interline Brands purchases in China and uses in its DuraPro product line.

These toilet connectors are short hoses running from the bottom of the toilet to the water shut-off valve.

The toilet connector attaches to the base of the toilet with a plastic nut, which due to a defect in design, can crack or fracture, potentially causing substantial water damage.

These Flexible Plumbing Toilet Connectors, according to the DuraPro lawsuit, have “uniformly defective plastic coupling nuts” that create a substantial risk of failure.

This product can allegedly fail to such an extent that water will flow unrestricted, and can cause significant water damage to property.

According to the DuraPro lawsuit, Interline Brands has actually known about the defectiveness of these parts for years—since at least 2007.

Despite the potential damage to property this poses for customers, the company continued to sell its DuraPro line with defective Flexible Plumbing Toilet Connectors.

The DuraPro lawsuit claims that plaintiffs have suffered injury-in-fact and loss of money because of the defective product and Interline Brand’s conduct, both in its failure to warn and to recall.

One plaintiff, Jacquelyn D. Ajose, found in this DuraPro lawsuit that, on the third floor of her home, her DuraPro Toilet Connector had failed which caused water to flood throughout her home.

Because of the product failure, Ajose suffered expensive property damages and was forced to pay her property insurance deductible.

Another plaintiff, Kathy Smith, experienced a water leak from her DuraPro product, and water caused at least $10,000 in property damage, forcing her to pay at least a $7,600 insurance deductible.

The other plaintiffs involved in this DuraPro lawsuit suffered similar damages to their home as a result of this defective product part. Some plaintiffs who have come forward about DuraPro defects have suffered such substantial property damage that walls had to be torn down and replaced.

Homeowners have reported out-of-pocket costs or insurance deductibles of between $1,100 and over $7,000 as a result of these damages.

Filing a DuraPro Lawsuit

Interline Brands, Inc. DuraPro products have been distributed across the country. The toilet connectors used in these products were manufactured in China and allegedly have defects that can cause serious leaking, endangering property.

A class action DuraPro lawsuit alleges that Interline Brands knew that its toilet connectors were defective since at least 2007, yet continued to sell them without warning consumers of the defect and possible extreme water damage to property.

If you have experienced water damage due to a failed DuraPro toilet connector between 2002 and the present, you may be able to receive compensation.

The DuraPro Lawsuit is Ajose v. Interline Brands, Inc., Case No. 14-CV-1707, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

UPDATE: On April 24, 2018, Interline Brands Inc. agreed to pay $16.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company’s DuraPro Toilet Connectors have a defective part that can lead to flooding, causing damage to homes.