LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two residents in Louisville recently filed a lawsuit against Givaudan Flavors Corporation citing negligence following a deadly explosion on Nov. 12 that left two people dead.
A press release from officials reported that Edward Roberts and Ana Carolina Gomez Bridge filed a lawsuit against the corporation, along with its parent company Givaudan United States, Inc.
Following an investigation, the release read that federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives found that the explosion occurred due to alleged poor ventilation and maintenance failures. This caused a vessel to overheat, ultimately, leading to the explosion.
Further, the release noted that Roberts was in his basement at the time of the explosion while Gomez Bridge was also at home and "suffered severe emotional trauma."
"Buildings don't simply explode without warning—this kind of negligence was preventable,” said Tad Thomas of Thomas Law Offices. “Givaudan failed miserably to operate their business responsibly, and the consequences were catastrophic.”
The complaint also alleges that employees had warned the company about the vessel overheating before the explosion and that the company was negligent in failing to take corrective action, endangering area residents in the process.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages "to address the property damage, emotional distress associated with the explosion, and other losses," according to the release.
