Chair Firm Pays $113,000 to Settle False Claims Suit

A company that offers custom-made chairs purportedly effective in the treatment of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and back conditions agreed to pay almost $113,000 in civil penalties to settle a district attorney’s consumer protection lawsuit.

The suit alleged that sales practices of Contour West Inc. misrepresented its Contour Lounge chairs as therapeutic aids and falsely claimed that they had the endorsements of the American Medical Assn. and American Chiropractic Assn.

The suit claimed the chairs, distributed by the Chatsworth-based company, retailed for $2,000 to $3,000 each and although they were supposed to be custom-made, many were ordered from the factory before customers placed orders.

In a stipulated judgment signed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the company, without admitting any wrongdoing, agreed to a permanent injunction prohibiting all forms of false advertising and unlawful business practices.