A Florida jury awarded a couple $2.5 million in damages Friday in the first U.S. jury trial over defective drywall from China. A state court panel in Miami deliberated more than a day before finding Banner Supply Co. 55 percent responsible for damage done to the home of Armin and Lisa Seifart. The jury found a company not included in the lawsuit, Germany's Knauf Group, 35 percent liable. The plaintiffs had sought $4.3 million for loss of enjoyment of their home and other damages. 'It sets a precedent to the extent that we were able to see what a jury thinks about this case,' said Ervin Gonzalez, attorney for the Seifarts. USG Corp. and Knauf are among about 1,000 defendants that may face claims they distributed defective drywall manufactured in China. The cases, part of coordinated litigation over allegedly defective drywall, are intended as a bellwether to help determine property damage issues in other cases against manufacturers. More than 2,100 people in the U.S. have sued in federal court claiming damages from drywall made in China. As many as 40,000 plaintiffs may bring claims, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon of New Orleans, who is overseeing the lawsuits nationwide, said last month. The Seifarts bought their home in February 2008. After less than a year they learned their problems with appliances and a sulfur smell originated with the drywall. Banner countered that the Seifarts should be reimbursed for the cost of repairs only, urging the jury not to make an award for loss of enjoyment or the reduction of the value to the home. 'We are a bit disappointed and we will weigh all of our rights, including our appellate rights,' Banner's attorney, Todd Ehrenreich said after the verdict. 