Chinese drywall manufacturer and distributer Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. Ltd. and Knauf GIPS KG won't have to disclose to current plaintiffs how much in punitive damages they paid in a post-judgment settlement over tainted drywall with Coconut Grove plaintiffs Jeffrey and Elisa Robin.

The companies won before the Fourth District Court of Appeal, which on Wednesday ruled in their favor. They had faced a demand from plaintiffs including William Bart Ziegler, whose discovery requests sought details of the drywall companies' deal with the Robins.

“Here, the drywall defendants seek to avoid a punitive damages claim in this case based upon the punitive damage award in the Robin action,” a Fourth DCA panel wrote in an unsigned opinion, before quashing two discovery orders by Palm Beach Circuit Judge David French.