Land of Leather insurers contest liability for DMF sofa claims

30th March | upholstery | The insurance company representing collapsed sofa chain Land of Leather is contesting compensation claims from consumers who suffered burns and rashes from leather sofas containing the chemical DMF.

Zurich, the insurance firm, believes Land of Leather was not covered for more than 500 of the sofas sold, and following Friday’s High Court hearing now has 21 days to clarify its position.  Fellow retailers Argos and Walmsleys have accepted liability and want the levels of compensation to be established as quickly as possible.

The lawyer leading the group litigation, Richard Langton of Russell Jones & Walker, says all parties will now meet before the start of June with the aim of establishing an out of court settlement. The sofas, made by Chinese manufacturers Linkwise and Eurosofa, contained sachets with DMF designed to prevent mould while the furniture was in transit.