Thousands to sue over toxic sofas

December 19, 2008

Thousands of customers who claim they were burnt by toxic sofas they

bought are suing for damages in the largest group action of its kind

in the UK

By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor

Last Updated: 5:00PM GMT 19 Dec 2008

Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom

toxic-sofas.html

More than 5,000 people have reported skin, chest and eye injuries

after using imported leather furniture allegedly containing an anti-

mould chemical called Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF).

The chemical can cause skin burns and other injuries and is also

thought to be potentially linked to some deaths.

Around 5,300 people have now joined a litigation led by solicitors

and in the largest consumer injury class action

in UK history.

DMF is used by manufacturers to prevent mould caused by humid

conditions growing on leather, ruining its appearance.

and said refunds had already been offered to

affected customers in respect of dozens of models sold by Land of

Leather, Walmsleys, and Argos. The sofas were made by Chinese

companies Linkwise and Eurosofa and other manufacturers' products

are also being tested.

The action, against the three British-based retailers, is being held

in the High Court and another hearing is scheduled for February.

But Langton, a partner at and , has

called for the Government to ban products containing DMF after

authorities in France took the measure following a similar outbreak.

He said: " Thousands of people have already suffered a painful

allergic reaction to their sofa because of inadequate safeguards.

Mel Hackworth, whose one-year-old daughter developed a painful rash

on her legs at the same time as the family's new sofa arrived,

said: " It was just awful. You try to protect your children, you try

to make your children better and nothing we were doing was making

her better. "

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