NEW ORLEANS -- The deadline is nearing for plaintiffs to join a class-action lawsuit involving defective Chinese drywall. The lawsuit involves drywall manufactured by a company called Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin.
Homeowners with that type of drywall in their home have until Dec. 2 to join the class action lawsuit.
Frank D’Amico Jr., a local attorney involved in the suit, said Friday he believes there may be a number of homeowners with that particular drywall in their house who have not yet joined the suit.
Attorneys warn that if affected homeowners miss the December deadline, it could cost them $15,000 just to file a suit against Knauf through the Hague in the Netherlands.
"We've been able to work out an opportunity for them to come in now, either through photographs or other evidence that they have Knauf, give us their name and their information, and we can include them in this class-action petition,” D’Amico said.
“Knauf is agreeing to waive the service requirements. Now they're maintaining all of their other defenses, but it's an opportunity to come in and avoid that unnecessary expense," he added.
D'Amico said the best way to check if you have the drywall involved is to go to the attic, pull back the insulation and check to see if it is stamped with the company name, "Knauf."
The first trial involving the defective drywall is scheduled for February in U.S. District Court in New Orleans.
“The judge has said he wants to get this to trial quickly,” D’Amico said. “He's very disturbed of the fact that we've already gone through Katrina. People have suffered the tortures of that, only to go through Road Home or their insurance, rebuild their house, now to find out they have this defective drywall."
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