South Mississippi Chinese Drywall Litigation

Toxic material in Gulf Coast history

The first case of Chinese drywall damage in Mississippi was confirmed in Picayune in the spring of 2009. The hazardous construction material was used in home building from 2004 to 2007:

• 2004—National housing boom began
  • Increased demand for drywall
  • Short supply of domestic drywall
• 2005—Hurricane Katrina
  • Many Gulf Coast homes destroyed or severely damaged
  • Chinese drywall imported for South Mississippi reconstruction
• 2006—Building continued
  • Extensive construction work in Mississippi
  • National housing boom going strong
• 2007—Housing boom crashed, drywall imports slowed down

By the end of 2008, homeowners across the Gulf Coast and other parts of the country began to notice mysterious signs of trouble.

Environmental hazard in your home

Domestic drywall is made of a material called gypsum. But the drywall that was imported from China between 2004 and 2007 contained a mix of gypsum and cellulose. When these two materials are combined in wallboard, they deteriorate and give off a sulfuric gas which erodes copper and leaves black soot. There are several causes for suspicion that your home has been built or remodeled with Chinese drywall:

• An odor of rotten eggs is present
• You have noticed copper wire corrosion
• Your air conditioner evaporator coil has failed repeatedly
• You have found corrosion of copper pipes
• You can see the words "Made in China" on the unfinished back of a wall

If you have made any of the above observations, and you have had construction work since 2004, you should contact a lawyer at Gardner Law Firm to schedule an inspection of your premises.

A new area of toxic exposure litigation

In addition to the property damage from copper corrosion, many homeowners have reported respiratory illnesses since Chinese drywall was installed in their homes. Knowledge of his hazard is still relatively new, and it can be difficult to get relief because—

• The health hazards are strongly suspected but not yet proven
• Many contractors want to shift blame to the manufacturers
• The manufacturers are overseas
• Most homeowners insurance companies are avoiding the issue

However, recent action in the U.S. Senate has called for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a recall and conduct a scientific study of Chinese drywall. The attorneys at Gardner Law Firm keep up-to-date on all developments in Chinese drywall law.

Call an attorney who understands Chinese drywall

If you believe that there may be Chinese drywall in your home, you need to speak to one of the lawyers at Gardner Law Firm.