NEW HAVEN, CT - A nationwide furniture manufacturer has been named in a massive class-action lawsuit filed today in federal court. Ashley Furniture Industries was notified of the $700 million suit by federal prosecutors in Connecticut. The suit references a recent study linking prolonged use of stools manufactured by Ashley to various liver diseases.
"Today we seek justice for the tens of thousands of innocent people victimized by these defective products." said J. Lloyd Weimerham, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. "The evidence is overwhelmingly in our favor."
The study, compiled by the Physiological Anomalies Department at Howyflyl University, found that persons who sit in elevated barstools more than 20 hours a week were 10 times more likely to contract liver disease. The startling conclusion has baffled ergonomic experts and physiologists alike.
"We believe that disruption of blood flow is the likely culprit." said Kenneth Walker, Professor of Physiological Anomalies at Howyflyl and co-author of the study. "Many victims reported weakness in the legs and dizziness after prolonged use of this product, putting additional pressure on the liver."
The Centers for Disease Control plans to issue an advisory regarding barstool use, and require businesses that provide them to the public to either post warning signs or remove the stools completely.
Ashley Furniture Industries could not be reached for comment by press time.
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