The Court has ruled that people who bought sofas from the former Land of Leather retailer that were sourced from China do not have to be compensated even if they unfortunately suffered from severe allergic reactions caused by a chemical used in the sofas.
Some sofas manufactured in China and sold through Land of Leather, Argos and Walmsley Furnishing, contained di-methyl fumarate (DMF) which caused severe blistering, burns and breathing problems for consumers. DMF has now been banned from use in imported products by the EU. Lawson-West are acting for a number of consumers affected by severe allergic reactions and pursuing compensation claims. All three retailers had admitted liability.
However, Land of Leather’s insurers Zurich have announced they would not provide insurance cover for some claims against Land of Leather because the retailer had breached the terms of its policy. This decision has now been upheld by the courts. Approximately 300 people will now not get compensation for their injuries. This doesn’t affect all claims against Land of Leather, only claims where the sofa was manufactured by Linkwise and sold by Land of Leather. Lawson-West have settled a claim against Land of Leather for a sofa manufactured by Eurosofa.
For affected consumers who bought their sofas from Argos or Walmsley Furnishing, injury claims are ongoing. The court will look at test cases in May 2010 and Lawson-West will continue to provide updates on this matter.
