After a tumultuous month, discount hardwood floor retailer Lumber Liquidators has agreed to cooperate with a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigation into the safety of their Chinese laminate products. The investigation comes after a month of speculation following a CBS 60 Minutes report that claimed the company was supplying hardwood flooring from China that contained hazardous levels of formaldehyde – a known carcinogen. Days after the program was aired, Lumber Liquidators’ CEO, Robert Lynch lambasted the report given by Anderson Cooper, stating that it did not adhere to “real world testing” and completely “distorted the facts.”
However, in light of China’s track record in terms of product safety, U.S. lawmakers are not convinced of the company’s innocence. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–NY) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fl) both made immediate calls for a federal probe. Now, the CPSC will join other agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Disease Control, and the Federal Trade Commission in the investigation. As reported by CBS Evening News, CPSC Chairman, Elliot F. Kaye has made it clear they will get to the bottom of these claims: “As a parent of young children, I completely understand and share the strong desire that parents and other consumers have to know as soon as possible whether these products present a health risk.” He went onto state that it may be months before any findings are presented to the general public.
With over 350 stores across the nation and thousands of customers potentially impacted, Lumber Liquidators executives and shareholders are hoping the probe will confirm what they have been claiming all along – that their products are safe and up to code. “We do more than just take reasonable prudent precautions when complying with CARB,” said Mr. Lynch. The statement was in reference to the California Air Resources Board, which has some of the toughest protocols in the world for trace formaldehyde in flooring. The embattled CEO went on to state that Lumber Liquidators would “never knowingly” risk customer safety.
Whatever the outcome, Lumber Liquidators still faces a number of class action lawsuits over the suspect flooring and potentially far more in the coming months. If your family has been exposed to toxic or defective products, it is important to secure legal counsel as soon as possible. Your family’s health and wellbeing are top priority at the Demas Law Group, P.C. Call us today for a free consultation.
