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30/04/2010
£20m 'Toxic Sofa' Payout
Hundreds of victims who suffered skin burns after buying "toxic" sofas are set to receive up to £20million compensation.
The customers took legal action after claiming of skin and eye complaints or breathing difficulties from the Chinese-made furniture, dubbed "toxic sofas."
A number of high street chains have been ordered to pay out between £1,175 and £9,000 to around 1,650 customers.
A Plymouth couple who claim they are victims of a 'toxic sofa' could be in line for a slice of the £20million in compensation.
Barry Green was one of thousands of people to suffer health problems after buying a Chinese-made suite.
He spent a week in hospital suffering from blisters, then breathing problems, followed by pneumonia and finally heart failure.
The multi-million-pound payout ordered this week could land Mr Green, 64, as much as £9,000.
Mr Green, who bought a brown Eurosofa suite from Land of Leather in Marsh Mills, said the health problems that followed "totally changed" his life.
Following his ordeal, he was left with nearly half his heart severely damaged, a condition called cardiomyopathy,and is convinced his sofa nightmare is to blame.
Other sufferers included Torpoint teaching assistant Jo Hill, who developed a rash all over her body that turned into weeping sores, and Plympton mum Paula Brooks, who spent six months enduring the same agony.
The sofas were manufactured by Chinese firms Linkwise and Eurosofa and sold at Argos, Land of Leather and Walmsleys.
Sachets of anti-mould fungicide placed under the cushions were found to contain the highly sensitising chemical dimethyl fumarate (DMF).
(LB/GK)
The customers took legal action after claiming of skin and eye complaints or breathing difficulties from the Chinese-made furniture, dubbed "toxic sofas."
A number of high street chains have been ordered to pay out between £1,175 and £9,000 to around 1,650 customers.
A Plymouth couple who claim they are victims of a 'toxic sofa' could be in line for a slice of the £20million in compensation.
Barry Green was one of thousands of people to suffer health problems after buying a Chinese-made suite.
He spent a week in hospital suffering from blisters, then breathing problems, followed by pneumonia and finally heart failure.
The multi-million-pound payout ordered this week could land Mr Green, 64, as much as £9,000.
Mr Green, who bought a brown Eurosofa suite from Land of Leather in Marsh Mills, said the health problems that followed "totally changed" his life.
Following his ordeal, he was left with nearly half his heart severely damaged, a condition called cardiomyopathy,and is convinced his sofa nightmare is to blame.
Other sufferers included Torpoint teaching assistant Jo Hill, who developed a rash all over her body that turned into weeping sores, and Plympton mum Paula Brooks, who spent six months enduring the same agony.
The sofas were manufactured by Chinese firms Linkwise and Eurosofa and sold at Argos, Land of Leather and Walmsleys.
Sachets of anti-mould fungicide placed under the cushions were found to contain the highly sensitising chemical dimethyl fumarate (DMF).
(LB/GK)
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