A class action lawsuit representing Lumber Liquidators customers in three states has been filed in federal court, marking the third class-action lawsuit the company now faces.
The latest suit is filed on behalf of customers in Virginia, New York and Alabama who purchased wood products from the Toano-based company. Like another class-action suit filed on behalf of customers and one filed on behalf of shareholders of the company, the new suit alleges the company sold wood with elevated levels of formaldehyde and the company knowingly bought wood from the habitat of an endangered tiger, a violation of both Russian and U.S. law.
According to the suit, “economic and injunctive relief” is sought for those who purchased wood flooring the company imported from China. It is not seeking damages from personal injuries caused by formaldehyde exposure. A jury trial has been requested in the suit.
The aggregated claims for the class represented by the suit exceed $5 million, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The complaint features allegations from three customers.
Two Alabama residents purchased Morningstar Bamboo brand flooring directly from the company which was then installed in their home. According to the complaint, Lumber Liquidators represented the wood as being in compliance with formaldehyde standards. A Virginia man and a New York woman also purchased and installed the Morningstar Bamboo brand flooring.
The Morningstar Bamboo is also featured in the other customer class-action lawsuit, where it is mentioned as having been installed in the Texas home of one of the people involved in the suit. That suit also mentions the company’s Mayflower Birch brand and the Dream Home St. James 12 mm Blacksburg Barn Board wood.
The complaint points to the same evidence as the other two lawsuits. It mentions a report published by investment website SeekingAlpha.com, where the writer claims to have had wood from the company tested by independent labs which revealed elevated levels of formaldehyde. The complaint also mentions an “illegal scheme to purchase from Chinese manufacturers and import into the United States cheap, non-compliant flooring.”
The issue of non-complaint flooring arose in September when federal agents searched the company’s Toano headquarters and a retail location in Henrico County. A search order for the federal agents found in the staging area of a parking lot of a Henrico County Target revealed the searches were looking for evidence the company had knowingly imported wood harvested from the habitat of the endangered Siberian tiger.
This suit was filed Jan.14, just a few days after the company announced plans to expand its operations in Virginia, a move predicted to create about 250 new jobs in the next three years. The company seeks to expand its corporate and manufacturing operations in Virginia by including the finishing capacity for the flagship Bellawood hardwood floors and other products in Toano.
Related Coverage:
- Toano’s Lumber Liquidators Announces Expansion Plans
- Customers File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Lumber Liquidators
- Class Action Lawsuit Against Lumber Liquidators Seeks Damages for Shareholders
- Expert: Illegal Loggers Target Siberian Tiger Habitat for Proximity to Manufacturers
- Federal Agents Search Lumber Liquidators Headquarters in Toano
