Miami Jury Awards Couple $2.5M For Damages Due To Defective Chinese Drywall; Company To Mull Over Possible Appeal

In Miami, Florida, The Miami Herald reports:

• About 2 ½ years after a Miami couple first wondered about the strange odor in their home, a Miami-Dade jury awarded them $2.5 million in damages and expenses Friday, blaming odors and corrosion problems on defective Chinese drywall.

• Armin and Lisa Seifart sued Miami-based Banner Supply after the drywall that the company provided corroded copper pipes and fixtures, ruined their air conditioner and other appliances and made their home smell. The case -- the first jury trial in the country over Chinese drywall -- could set precedent for other lawsuits.(1) Banner has been sued in dozens of cases as have other drywall companies and businesses in the drywall supply chain.

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• Banner attorney Todd Ehrenreich said the company, [...] is still considering its next move. "We are a bit disappointed. We will weigh all of our rights, including our appellate rights,'' he said.

For more, see Chinese drywall verdict is in: $2.5 million (A jury found Miami-based Banner Supply at fault for the struggles of a Coconut Grove couple whose home was damaged by Chinese drywall. The plaintiffs had sought $4.4 million in the case).

(1) A federal judge in Louisiana awarded $2.6 million to seven Virginia homeowners, finding drywall manufacturer Taishan Gypsum Co. liable for damage, but that company has not participated in U.S. court proceedings, leaving the ruling's effect in limbo, the story states. Reportedly, Judge Eldon Fallon also ruled that manufacturer KPT pay $164,000 to a Louisiana couple for repairs to their house.