LOS ANGELES--()--A class-action lawsuit was filed today by Birka-White Law Offices on behalf of private water utilities and commercial property owners potentially seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from JM Eagle for knowingly supplying substandard polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) pipe for the transmission of water for fire hydrant systems, building fire suppression systems, potable water systems, and other applications.
“This lawsuit seeks to protect class members who are not included in the whistle-blower lawsuit and who now have substandard JM Eagle pipe”
The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court, Central District of California, asks the court to certify a nationwide class action on behalf of all persons or entities, including private water utilities, commercial property owners, and potentially some public agencies, who installed the substandard JM Eagle pipe. Today’s filing seeks reimbursement of all sums paid by the class members to JM Eagle, and for all other damages caused by the sale and installation of the substandard pipe.
The class-action lawsuit alleges that from at least 1997 through at least January 1, 2009, the majority of the PVC pipe manufactured and sold by J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc. (JM Eagle's corporate predecessor), was below the minimum strength required by applicable industry standards.
The lawsuit also alleges that JM Eagle further deceived its customers by cherry-picking pipe samples for testing by outside certification agencies such as Underwriters Laboratories and NSF International, while continuing in its day-to-day operations using a cheaper manufacturing process that produced weaker pipes, but enabled the company to increase its profits.
This class-action follows a whistle-blower lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, which was unsealed in February 2010. The qui tam case represents several states and numerous municipalities and public water districts seeking millions of dollars in damages from JM Eagle for knowingly supplying the substandard PVC pipe. Several states and dozens of other California municipalities and water districts joined that suit after they investigated the allegations and elected to intervene in the case.
“This lawsuit seeks to protect class members who are not included in the whistle-blower lawsuit and who now have substandard JM Eagle pipe,” said David M. Birka-White of Birka-White Law Offices in Danville, California.
The scope and potential damages associated with the deficient pipe are enormous. JM Eagle is the largest PVC pipe manufacturer with annual revenue of $1.6 billion on sales of over 1 billion feet of pipe representing a significant market share.
“Because JM Eagle is perhaps the world’s largest manufacturer of PVC pipe, the impact on the plaintiffs is substantial. The damages are not only the cost of the pipe, but also include damages for reduced useful life of the product, diminution in property values, and damage for replacing entire water systems. This sort of corporate misconduct undermines confidence in the certification process and entire building products industry,” continued Birka-White.
The class-action lawsuit was filed by Birka-White Law Offices and Farella, Braun & Martel, LLP. The firms are widely regarded as experts in the field of product liability and consumer fraud.
About Birka-White Law Offices
Birka-White Law Offices specializes in product liability and consumer fraud. David Birka-White has handled dozens of product liability cases and class actions involving defective products. He was among the first attorneys to successfully prosecute multi-state and nationwide class actions involving defective building products, including numerous cases involving defective plastic pipe. www.birka-white.com
About Farella Braun + Martel
Farella Braun + Martel represents clients throughout the United States and abroad in sophisticated business transactions and high-stakes commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Founded in 1962, the firm is headquartered in San Francisco and maintains an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry. Farella Braun + Martel lawyers are known for their imaginative legal solutions, dynamism and intellectual creativity. With an unwavering service ethic and interdisciplinary team approach, the firm is committed to advancing clients' objectives in the most effective, coordinated and efficient manner. Farella Braun + Martel is a green business. www.fbm.com
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Delicious
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Digg
MySpace
Newsvine
Google Bookmark
Yahoo! Bookmark
Email
Email 
