Leeman v. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc.

The parties involved in the case Leeman v. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. executed a Consent Judgment on July 13, 2016.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. alleged that Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. (“CVG”) sold commercial vehicle seats with vinyl/PVC upholstery containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.  

As part of the agreement, CVG agreed not to sell any commercial vehicle seats with vinyl/PVC upholstery in California after the Santa Clara County Superior Court approves the Judgment, unless the seats contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP in any accessible component when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies OR have Proposition 65 warnings provided.  Should CVG provide Leeman with certification by November 15, 2016 that its commercial vehicle seats with vinyl/PVC upholstery sold in California meet the reformulation requirements as set out above, Leeman has agreed to waive a portion of the civil penalty that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of $66,500, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Leeman and her counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.