A MAN is suing a furniture company after his new £700 sofa left him with severe burns to his back.
Raymond Tayman, from Ellesmere Port, is expecting to receive compensation from Walmsley’s within the coming months.
Chinese-manufactured sofas, the majority of which were sold from Walmsley’s, Land of Leather and Argos, were discovered to contain a chemical known to cause skin irritation.
It was contained within a sachet placed inside the chairs to protect against mould during storage, transit and everyday use. The chemical has since been banned.
The 58-year-old, who bought the sofa from the Ellesmere Port Walmsley’s store in February last year, is among 6,000 people across the UK affected. His solicitors, Russell Jones and Walker, are representing more than 4,500 victims.
Mr Tayman said: “My back was getting blistered as if I had been lying in the sun for days.
“My skin was flaking off and it was really uncomfortable.
“It was a big worry. I was panicking because I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t put it down to the sofa.
“I changed my soap powder, clothes and even my mattress but it kept getting worse and worse. I went to the doctors and by chance they’d had a patient with the same problem.”
Richard Langton, Partner at Russell Jones and Walker said: “The positive news is that following the court hearing, the majority of claimants will be able to expect compensation within the next few months.
“All parties concerned will be meeting before June 1 to establish an assessment process for calculating the amount of compensation that individual claimants will receive and this represents the final stages in establishing liability.”
A spokeswoman for Walmsley’s said the company was unable to comment on the case due to a group litigation order.
