Retailers pay out £20m to ‘toxic sofa’ victims

Victims of ‘toxic sofas’ made in China that caused serious burns will receive combined payouts totalling up to £20m, the High Court has agreed. Justice MacDuff ordered that around 1,650 people who suffered painful medical complaints due to the presence of a highly sensitising chemical called DMF (dimethyl fumarate) in leather sofas, made by Chinese companies Linkwise and Eurosofa, would receive compensation payouts of between £1,175 and £9,000. But Zurich won a ruling last month that it would not have to pay compensation to customers of Land of Leather, which is now in administration, who had lodged claims under the Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act.