The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on June 12 ruled to consolidate at least 10 class action lawsuits filed against Lumber Liquidators nationwide over its Chinese-made laminate flooring, according to Legalnewsline.com.
The lawsuits all claim the laminate flooring product emits unhealthy levels of formaldehyde, as was alleged by a “60 Minutes” report in March. They will be transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“After considering the argument of counsel, we find that the actions in this litigation involve common questions of fact, and that centralization in the Eastern District of Virginia will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation,” wrote Sarah Vance, chair of the consolidation panel, in the order.
The consolidation ruling on Friday was filed shortly after the report aired, so it only includes the first 10 lawsuits filed against the company. However, all lawsuits filed after the consolidation request, more than 100 in total, could also be transferred, according to Legalnewsline.com.
