In 2005, the construction market was booming and projects were going up all over the nation. In many of these construction projects, hybrid plastic and metal fire sprinkler systems were installed as lighter and reliable solutions to the old metal piping systems, but these systems were not the solution everyone was hoping for.
Colson Hicks Eidson Files A New Class Action Lawsuit
Information has come to light that fire sprinkler systems using plastic pipes made of a resin called Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) break down when exposed to common construction materials. This means that these pipes can easily break down, cause water damage, and fail to function in the event of a fire. This discovery, though very new to the owners of buildings all across the nation, doesn’t seem to be news to the companies that make these fire sprinklers.
The companies that produce these CPVC fire sprinkler parts have apparently received samples of failed systems and damaged pipes from all over the country. However, executives balked when one of those company’s engineers suggested going public with their product’s flaw. Now these companies face damage claims that could total more than $1 billion.
“The question is not whether the CPVC pipe used in combination with the metal pipes will fail; the question is when it will fail,” Colson Hicks Eidson explains. “This can happen at the very worst time—during a fire when the sprinkler system must operate… They knew they would fail, and they kept selling them… And frankly it’s just wrong.”
Colson Hicks Eidson and Seigfried Rivera, et al. have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of two Miami condominium associations—and other buildings nationwide—to claim damages and repair costs. To stay up-to-date on development in this case, keep following our blog, Twitter and Facebook.