Federal Court Dismisses Most Recent Frivolous CSST Lawsuit
CSST is the Safest Gas Piping Product in the U.S.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn., Jan. 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Omega Flex, Inc. (Nasdaq:OFLX) today announced that a U.S. District Court in Florida has dismissed a class action lawsuit falsely alleging that Omega Flex's corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) product was defective and created a risk of fire damage due to lightning strikes. The lawsuit was filed despite the fact the CSST systems were properly working at all times and the homes had not suffered any type of damage.
In granting Omega Flex's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Philip Hall and Deborah Haase v. Omega Flex, Inc., the Court found absolutely no basis for the plaintiffs' claim and took the unusual step of barring the trial attorneys from amending and resubmitting the lawsuit. Another putative class action case filed against Omega Flex in Ohio and making the exact same allegations was voluntarily dismissed by plaintiffs a week prior to the Florida decision.
This case is Omega Flex's third consecutive legal victory against the trial attorneys and insurance companies that are making baseless and unfounded claims that CSST is unsafe. Last year, the Company won two federal jury verdicts against insurance companies seeking reimbursement for property damage. In those cases, the juries unanimously found that Omega Flex was not negligent in designing, testing, and manufacturing TracPipe and that TracPipe is not a defective product.
Commenting on the U.S. District Court's ruling, the Company said, "A properly installed and bonded CSST system has been independently proven to reduce damage from lightning strikes to the gas piping system. When considering all of the issues, CSST is far more effective than black iron pipe. There are about 65 deaths every year caused by gas explosions. Black iron pipe systems fail due to leakage at joints, corrosion and natural events like floods, tornados, earthquakes, and human error.
"Calls by the plaintiffs' lawyers and their allies to resort to that outdated and dangerous technology would place the public in even greater danger. In contrast, there have been no deaths or injuries proven to be caused by CSST since it was first introduced in 1989. Omega Flex will continue to vigorously defend itself against frivolous claims about its safety."
About Omega Flex, Inc.
Established in 1975, Omega Flex, Inc. is the pre-eminent international producer of flexible metallic piping products. With more than 200 patents registered worldwide, Omega Flex® supplies proprietary products for a broad number of applications and markets, which include primary steel production, semi-conductor, medical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, residential, residential and commercial construction, and power generation. Omega Flex®, TracPipe®, CounterStrike® and AutoFlare® are registered trademarks of Omega Flex, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, visit www.omegaflex.com.
About TracPipe® CounterStrike® CSST
TracPipe® CounterStrike® from Omega Flex, Inc. is designed to be more resistant to damage from transient electrical arcing than conventional gas piping materials. In a lightning strike, the electrical energy of the lightning can energize all electrical and mechanical components in a building. This electrical energy, in attempting to reach ground, may arc between systems that have different electrical potential, and arcing can cause damage to any of these systems. TracPipe® CounterStrike® is designed with an electrically conductive jacket to dissipate this energy, protecting the gas-carrying stainless steel core.