Ruling on drywall favors homeowners

A circuit court judge in Palm Beach County ruled that Chinese drywall installers can be held strictly liable under certain circumstances, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Judge Glenn Kelley’s decision means attorneys representing clients with Chinese drywall only have to prove that the product is defective, and not that there was negligence. David Durkee, a Coral Gables lawyer representing Palm Beach County clients who are headed to trial, predicted that judges in other counties were likely to follow Kelley’s ruling. Last month, Kelley ruled that builders could not be held strictly liable, while manufacturers and distributors could. [Sun-Sentinel]