Palm Beach Drywall Battles Moves on to Negligence Claims

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Homebuilders and suppliers named in state court Chinese drywall litigation have filed motions to dismiss negligence claims, arguing that they could not possibly have known about alleged defects in the product at the time it was being installed in homes throughout Florida. Bennett v. Centerline Homes Inc., et al., No. 50 2009 CA014458 (Fla. Cir. Ct., Palm Beach Cty.).

In motions filed this month in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, the defendants maintain they had no duty under Florida law to warn plaintiffs about latent defects in the drywall, which they say is not an …