JM Eagle calls class-action lawsuit 'parasitic'JM Eagle calls class-action lawsuit 'parasitic'

A class-action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, on behalf of private water utilities and commercial property owners potentially seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from JM Eagle for knowingly supplying substandard PVC pipe for the transmission of water for fire hydrant systems, building fire suppression systems, potable water systems, and other applications.

The suit is similar to the "whistle-blower" suit that PlasticsToday.com has covered extensively since February. Many of the named participants in that suit have declined to intervene and a final ruling in that cast is expected soon according to a JM Eagle spokesman.

"The lawsuit seeks to protect class members who are not included in the whistle-blower lawsuit and who now have substandard JM Eagle pipe," said David M. Birka-White of Birka-White Law Offices in Danville, CA.

A statement from JM Eagle says, "It has come to our attention that a class action lawsuit has been filed against JM Eagle by the law firm Birka-White based in Danville, CA. While we are still reviewing the specifics of the accusations in this complaint, it appears to be nothing more than a parasitic lawsuit based strictly on a meritless federal 'whistleblower' case filed in 2006 by a fired ex-employee of JM Eagle.

"Any allegation that JM Eagle produced inferior or substandard quality product is baseless and verifiably untrue. JM Eagle prides itself on producing the highest quality plastic pipe in the industry and stands 100% behind its products with its unmatched 50-year warranty."