Lumber Liquidators Investigated Over Toxic Laminate Flooring

Lumber Liquidators’ laminate flooring from China allegedly emits formaldehyde levels well above the level requiring package labels in California, prompting a class action lawsuit investigation.

Lumber Liquidators is under fire from consumers, competitors, and California environmentalists following a “60 Minutes” report exposing the results of formaldehyde testing performed on the company’s Chinese-made laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring, and is manufactured by binding wood particles together with glue often containing formaldehyde, and then covering the particles with a layer of protective laminate. News reports have stated that the layer of laminate may prevent a certain amount of formaldehyde from escaping from the wood and into the environment.

Lumber Liquidators Accused of Illegal Practices

Despite Lumber Liquidators’ “Quality Guarantee” indicating that its “flooring meets or exceeds rigorous emissions standards such as California CARB,” it is allegedly illegal to sell the company’s Chinese-made laminate flooring in California, where environmental emissions standards are particularly stringent.

“60 Minutes” reported that Lumber Liquidators has made large profits from the illegal sale of its potentially dangerous laminate flooring products. It is estimated that producing laminate flooring tainted with formaldehyde that is not CARB-compliant cuts manufacturing costs by up to 15 percent.

In 2013, Lumber Liquidators’ stock price nearly doubled. Lumber Liquidators is the largest and fastest-growing retailer of hardwood flooring in North America.

Affected Lumber

Some of the following types of Lumber Liquidators laminate flooring may contain excessive and illegal amounts of formaldehyde:

• 8 mm Bristol County Cherry Laminate Flooring
• 8 mm Dream Home Nirvana French Oak Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home Kensington Manor Antique Bamboo Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home St. James Oceanside Plank Bamboo Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home Ispiri Chimney Tops Smoked Oak Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home Kensington Manor Golden Teak Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home Kensington Manor Sandy Hills Hickory Laminate Flooring
• 8 mm Dream Home Nirvana Royal Mahogany Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home St. James Brazilian Koa Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home St. James Golden Acacia Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home Ispiri Poplar Forest Oak Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home St. James African Mahogany Laminate Flooring
• 12 mm Dream Home St. James Nantucket Beech Laminate Flooring

Other types of Chinese-made laminate sold at Lumber Liquidators may also be affected.

Lumber Liquidators Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

According to the “60 Minutes” report, the company is not required to test the levels of formaldehyde in its laminate wood flooring products and has thus far taken little responsibility for the potential dangers the flooring may pose to consumers.

A class action lawsuit investigation has been launched. If a lawsuit is filed it could seek penalties against Lumber Liquidators and compensation for consumers for allegedly illegally selling flooring products that pose serious health and safety risks.

UPDATE: Several Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), or mass tort, and transferred to a Virginia federal court by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), alleging that the flooring company sold wood floors containing toxic levels of formaldehyde.

Join a Free Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators, you may have a legal claim. Join a free class action lawsuit investigation to see if you qualify.

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