Toxic sofa victims left in agony get £20m

HUNDREDS of customers who were injured after buying "toxic" sofas look set to receive a total payout of up to £20 million, the High Court has heard.

An agreement has been thrashed out by lawyers which paves the way for "swift" payouts for many victims, a judge in London heard.

Mr Justice MacDuff was told that a "claims handling agreement" had been reached which could "potentially benefit" between 1,500 and 2,000 claimants.

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He heard that the agreement did not resolve the whole of the litigation surrounding the purchase of the sofas, but that it would "open the way to swift compensation for many hundreds" of people.

The furniture – which cost between 600 and 850 – was sold in Argos, Land of Leather and Walmsley stores.

A statement issued by lawyers after the hearing announced that around 1,650 victims of "toxic sofas" manufactured in China, which caused "serious burns", would receive "combined payouts totalling up to 20m".

They are expected to receive between 1,175 and 9,000, depending on the severity of their symptoms.

Legal action is still ongoing in 3,000 cases where liability remains in dispute.

Lawyers for claimants in what is believed to be the largest consumer group litigation in UK legal history say their clients suffered painful medical complaints due to the presence of the "highly sensitising" chemical DMF – dimethyl fumarate – in leather sofas manufactured by Chinese companies Linkwise and Eurosofa.

They were said to have suffered severe skin or eye complaints, breathing difficulties or other medical complications after exposure to the chemical.

The group action was launched against the three retailers of the affected sofas, all of whom admitted liability.

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The EU has now banned the use of DMF after consumers in at least five European countries suffered skin burns and breathing problems due to the chemical's use in numerous imported leather products, say solicitors.

Richard Langton, senior litigation partner at Russell Jones & Walker, who led the group litigation, said after the hearing: "Many suffered serious health problems, simply because of the new sofa they chose.

"At the start there was a real fear factor, as nobody knew the cause. The doctors took nine months to identify the chemical. Some people thought they had skin cancer or were dying.

"We believe many sofas are still in use with DMF in them. Anyone who develops symptoms should seek urgent medical advice. Anyone who has not registered a claim yet should seek help as time is running out to bring a claim."

During the hearing, Ralph Lewis, QC said the claims handling agreement related only to "non-severe" cases.

About 350 customers of Land of Leather, now in administration, will miss out, as another High Court judge previously ruled that they were not entitled to compensation from Land of Leather's insurers. That decision is expected to be challenged in the Court of Appeal.

Burned boy's mother: firm got off scot-free

STUDENT Rebecca Lloyd-Bennett was outraged when her nine-month-old son suffered horrific burns from their "toxic" leather sofa.

Baby Archie was among 1,000 people who suffered serious burns and rashes.

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Archie's body was covered in blisters in May 2008 after he had been lying on the 650 sofa, which Ms Lloyd-Bennett bought in Solihull, Birmingham. She took him to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where he was given seven lotions, creams and pills to treat the angry red burns.

Ms Lloyd-Bennett, 27, said: "Archie's skin is better now. But what I am annoyed about is the fact that companies in this country can cause damage to someone and get off scot-free.

"The sofa from Land of Leathers caused serious damage," she said. "They have just got away with it. There is no punishment for them, they have not been penalised, so they could quite easily make the same mistake again.

"If one firm is paying out, they all should," she added. "It is not fair otherwise. If one company can get away with it, who's to say others won't?"

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