Fact Issues Remain As To Whether Prior Award Deterred Chinese Drywall Manufacturer

Mealey's (May 1, 2023, 2:23 PM EDT) -- FORT MYERS, Fla. — Summary judgment is inappropriate on the issue of whether a Florida statute prohibits successive punitive damages awards against a manufacturer of defective Chinese drywall because it is unclear whether a confidential settlement was sufficient to deter the manufacturer’s behavior, a Florida federal judge found in partly granting the manufacturer’s motion for summary judgment in two cases brought by homeowners who were affected by the drywall....