Michael A. Caddell served as lead counsel in the Polybutylene (PB) plumbing class action. Settled in 1995, this case resulted in over 320,000 homes being completely re-plumbed, repaired, and inspected at no cost to the homeowner.
Polybutylene pipe was developed in the 1970s as a low-cost alternative to metal pipe. Made from a petrochemical refining byproduct, the plastic pipes were marketed as resistant to wear and tear, unaffected by corrosion, and easy to maintain and …
Caddell & Chapman obtained certification of a class of Arizona State Farm insureds in a class action lawsuit over State Farm’s failure to reimburse them for repairs to leaking polybutylene (PB) pipe in their homes. Plaintiffs alleged that State Farm breached their insurance policies by failing to pay the costs incurred in tearing out and replacing the part of the structure necessary to replace the PB piping after the plumbing system developed leaks.
Caddell & Chapman prevailed …
Caddell & Chapman was co-lead counsel in the largest consumer property damage case in history, in which over $1.2 billion (total attorneys’ fees: $42,230,000; litigation expenses: $536,000) was recovered from Shell and Celanese. Beginning in the late 1970s, Shell Oil worked with Celanese and DuPont in the development and marketing of a polybutylene plumbing (PB) system. The pipes were made of polybutylene, which is a resin by-product of a Shell oil-refining process, and the fittings …