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In perhaps the most high profile account of Chinese drywall being installed in a home, the NFL’s New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has found the faulty wallboard in his house. WNOE reports

The home of Saints coach Sean Payton is one of those where tainted drywall from China has ended up.

Payton and his wife, Beth have joined others in filing suit seeking to recover damages. Named as defendants are companies believed to be involved in the manufacture, importation and installation of the sulpher-emitting drywall.

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New issues surrounding faulty drywall are emerging as builders and suppliers are becoming more and more protective of their business practices against accusations of negligence. A recent article by the Herald Tribune points out that homeowners with symptoms closely mirroring those of people living in homes with Chinese drywall are finding their builders are checking for the faulty imported wallboard and then leaving without fixing the issue when tests come back negative.

The new problem is that there may be more to this health concern than simply those sheets of drywall imported from China:

George and Brenda Brinku’s home outside Fort Myers has all the signs. A Florida health official and the representative of another builder called the house one of the worst examples they have seen to date. Pictures depicting corrosion inside are on the Florida Department of Health’s Web site.

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In a telling piece that shows just how serious the government is taking this Chinese drywall issue, President Barack Obama is looking to remove the current chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Nancy Nord.

The Herald Tribune reports

President Barack Obama intends to remove the current chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission — an agency that has been criticized for its slow response to the Chinese drywall and other issues — as lawmakers look for another $2 million in emergency funding aimed at the growing problem.

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The Chinese Drywall issue continues to spread beyond the Gulf Coast area and makes it more apparent that not only is it a nationwide issue, but that there may be more of this faulty wallboard in the country, possibly in the state, than we first considered.

In Virginia, a group of homeowners have banded together to sue their developer and others for using Chinese drywall in their homes:

Five Hampton Roads homeowners are seeking more than $5 million in a lawsuit filed against a local developer, a distributor and a Chinese drywall manufacturer.

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Anyone thinking that this issue is not going to make an effect in the New Orleans and greater Louisiana area is going to be surprised we think. This isn’t just a Florida issue. The health symptoms of Chinese drywall exposure are being documented and it’s only a matter of time before homeowners begin finding out the faulty product is in their homes. Chinese drywall symptoms may not only be in regards to your health, though, as damage to the surrounding property of the drywall has been documented, reported and is currently being investigated.

Contact an attorney at the Berniard Law Firm for more information about this drywall disaster and/or check out the Chinese Drywall section of this site for more information regarding symptoms, home/property damage and other things relating to this issue.

Symptoms of Chinese drywall exposure include

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Submitted by a reader (and we love our readers!), a new website is available to see just what popular attractions and sites on the island of Galveston are open! Check out Galveston Now Open! to see just what sites you can visit that have recovered from Hurricane Ike.

Much like the determination and rigor that New Orleans demonstrated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the site features the emerging “Now Open” signs across the Texas island and the optimism this demonstrates for the Gulf Coast region.

A snippet from the site describing the rebuilding efforts:

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While a tropical storm can pop at any point that the water and air temperatures are “right,” June 1st is commonly considered to be the beginning of “Hurricane Season.”

Things to consider now, or at least before June 1st, are your preparedness for a large tropical storm or hurricane, the storage of important documentation relating to insurance and your home and/or property, evacuation plans and various other steps. Feel free to browse our section on storm and hurricane preparedness tips, located here, and make sure you complete your checklist before storm season gets here.

In the event a storm does cause damage to your home and you feel the insurance companies are not giving you the covered financial restitution you feel you deserve, contact a legal professional immediately. The Berniard Law Firm prides itself on taking on insurance companies and defending Gulf Coast residents against bullying or undercutting insurers.

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On Sunday, the Nashua Telegraph featured in their Living section a nice write-up about the recovery effort going on for the residents of Galveston. While there is still a lot of work to be done, it appears that the heart and desire is there for locals to completely rebuild the area after the devastation left by Hurricane Ike:

Despite these and a handful of other shuttered buildings, Galveston has reopened for business just in time for the spring tourism season.

The Flagship is one of only four of the island’s 40 hotels that remain closed since the Category 2 storm tore through town.

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In the wake of insurance companies backing out of agreements intended to help policy holders rebuild their homes and move on with their lives, SE Texas residents are beginning to feel the need to turn to the legal system to receive the money they are owed. KBMT news did a feature on an impending ‘explosion’ of lawsuits after insurance companies like Allstate have gone back on deals that it had made with policy holders.

Kim and Terry Cooper have lived in their Orange County home for 10 years but were dumbfounded when their insurance company walked away from the Cooper’s damage claims.

“They kept putting us off it seemed like Allstate was trying to keep their money as long as they wanted” said Kim Cooper.

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In looking to decrease its exposure, the Florida legislature has moved forward on legislation that will raise premiums on owners of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance policies. The Miami Herald reports:

Lawmakers approved the proposal (HB 1495) Thursday that would increase rates on a gradual basis for customers of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The policyholders would see premiums increased an average of 10 percent in the next several years to avoid a potential one-time increase of between 40 and 55 percent on Jan. 1.

The House vote could come Friday.

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