LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Negligence, nuisance, and more. All of which Givaudan is accused of in a new lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Tad Thomas of Thomas Law Offices represents the two people who live on Payne Street and who are seeking to hold the company responsible for Factory explosion on November 12 which killed two people, injured several others and caused destruction throughout the Clifton neighborhood.

He said at least 10 other owners were willing to do the same.

“The people of Clifton have a good case against this company,” Thomas said.

He said others he represents face a range of challenges, including head injuries, homelessness and negative mental health impacts.

“The reason they are calling lawyers is because they are angry that Givaudan is not handling this matter appropriately,” Thomas said.

The court filing accuses Givaudan of “operating its factory negligently,” citing a failure to properly inspect and maintain its cooking vessels.

He also accuses the company of being a nuisance, which Thomas points out is a trend within the company.

“This company was a bad neighbor. They had ongoing problems for years,” Thomas said. “The customer we filed suit against yesterday had an issue in their basement where sewage was backing up due to improper maintenance and handling at the plant in 2022.”

The day after the deadly explosion, WAVE also discovered a subway violation notice from 2023, after an incident left caramel powder covering homes, properties and cars.

WAVE spoke to Shelby Dix, a Payne Street resident left homeless by the deadly explosion, a week after visiting one of the ‘office hours” held by Givaudan to rationalize aid.

Dix told us she hasn’t been heard from since and was offered a few hundred dollars for the damages: not even enough to cover the cost of replacing her bed.

She also echoed the problem many people in Clifton continue to face: a communications fiasco.

“I’m not really kept in the loop on everything,” Dix said. “No one has contacted me.”

Thomas said he had heard a number of complaints about Givaudan’s response after the explosion, even after its commitment to improving the situation for home and business owners.

“One of my clients had a Givaudan representative come to inspect her property at the same time as her insurance company came to inspect it. The Givaudan representative came in and out, took a few photos and left,” Thomas said. “The insurance company manager arrived and spent two hours examining the property damage, making assessments and writing a report. So that should tell you what Givaudan thinks about what they’re going to do when it comes to property damage.

The numerous lawsuits against the company risk combining. Thomas Law Offices also represents two of the employees who were at the plant at the time of the explosion.

Thomas believes those affected will get the justice they deserve.

“It may take some time to ensure they get full compensation for what they suffered,” Thomas said, “but I am very confident there will be a positive outcome for the neighbors of Clifton .”

We reached out to the company for a response to the accusations made in the lawsuit and to claims made by other Clifton neighbors in the area, including concerns that Givaudan was not considering their best interests.

A Givaudan spokesperson told us: “We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”

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