Judge intent on “fast-tracking” Chinese drywall suits.

“About 600 tainted Chinese drywall lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation under U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon for pretrial issues.” Attorneys say that Fallon “is intent on fast-tracking a handful of cases for trial,” asking both sides “to select 10 cases to jump start the process of turning over documents and other information,” and “Fallon will select five cases to test the waters.”

According to Fallon, “the initial trials most likely will involve claims limited to property damage as opposed to personal injury.” The Review asserts that “the plaintiff bar has been in a feeding frenzy on Chinese drywall litigation,” and with the first of the bellwether lawsuits possibly “tried by the end of the year,” the timetable “encourages homeowners to think settlement.” The Consumer Products Safety Commission has received 810 Chinese drywall complaints from 23 states since last December, with most coming from Florida (621).

Source – The Daily Business Review