'Exceptional' James Hardie leaky building trial could take six months

James Hardie is facing a third lawsuit over its Harditex product. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 27 Sep 2022

A seven-year-old suit brought by retirement village operator Metlifecare against James Hardie is now slated to run for 29 weeks in May 2023, a recent judgment reveals.The mega trial, a third New Zealand attempt at making the Australian stock exchange-listed (ASX) building giant liable for leaky building defects, might engage 112 witnesses to determine whether the material's maker was at fault.Homeowners lost in the high court at Wellington in the first case, but they have since appealed.In the second case, in the high court at Auckland, hom...

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