Victims of humidifier disinfectant planning collective class action suit

Posted on : 2016-04-25 16:35 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Lawsuit seeking compensation is a break with the past, when victims filed individual claims
The Humidifier Disinfectant Victims’ and Family Members‘ Association and Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health call for punishment of companies that sold harmful humidifier disinfectant
The Humidifier Disinfectant Victims’ and Family Members‘ Association and Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health call for punishment of companies that sold harmful humidifier disinfectant

People with health problems and family members who lost their loved ones in connection with the use of humidifier disinfectant are planning a class action lawsuit claiming damages from the South Korean government and companies making and selling the product.

The Humidifier Disinfectant Victims’ and Family Members’ Association and Asian Citizen‘s Center for Environment and Health (ACCEH) held an ad hoc general meeting for victims and family members at the education center of Seoul National University’s Yeongeon campus in Seoul‘s Jongno district on Apr. 24 to discuss the class action suits. The environment and public health committee of the group MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society is set to represent the plaintiffs.

While victims have filed individual suits against companies and the state in the past, no legal action has yet been taken by multiple victims collectively.

The Apr. 24 meeting was attended by over 100 victims from all over South Korea.

“This is the first time so many victims have gathered together since the humidifier disinfection issue was first raised in 2011,” said Im Hong-gyu, a team director for ACCEH.

“We’re planning to use what was discussed here to do as we begin procedures, including plaintiff recruitment,” Im added.

Environmental and consumer groups also threatened a large-scale boycott of products by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the multinational company implicated in most of the cases.

“Environmental and consumer groups are planning to come together in force and hold a press conference on Apr. 25 to announce the Oxy Reckitt Benckiser boycott,” said Yeom Hyeong-cheol, secretary-general of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.

Happy Coop Northeast chief director Kang Eun-gyeong stressed that consumers “need to take it upon themselves not to buy if they want to punish companies for making and selling anything so long as it makes them money.”

“I think this active boycott is about giving some consolation to the victims and making sure nothing like this happens again,” Kang said.

Meanwhile, Lotte Mart, the first company to formally apologize in connection with the disinfectant, announced on Apr. 24 that it had finished setting up a team tasked with duties related to compensation for related cases. The first activity planned for the 19-member team, which begins work on Apr. 25, will be to contact victim groups.

Lotte Mart also announced that it had filed a formal objection to a court compulsory mediation plan in an ongoing civil suit related to the disinfectant.

“Paying hush money without precise standards for compensation in place goes again the spirit of the apology and promise for compensation,” the company said.

“The decision to file the objection was based on the realistic difficulties of formulating the compensation standards pledged by the company before the settlement deadline for the current mediation plan,” it explained.

By Yoo Shin-jae, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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