LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Neighbors have filed a lawsuit against the Givaudan Flavors Corporation over the explosion that killed two workers, and injured 11 others and damaged nearby homes. 

The lawsuit was filed by Payne Street residents Edward "Alex" Roberts and Ana Carolina Gomez Bridge. The couple lives just a few doors down from the Givaudan plant.

The suit claims both were at home, when the explosion happened. They are suing for physical pain and suffering, loss of income and future repairs of their damaged home. Bridge is also suing for emotional distress, which she said required necessary therapy and medical treatment.

"It's been their experience that this company has been a bad neighbor for years," Tad Thomas, a personal injury attorney, said. "They've had issues with smells. They've had issues with water damage in their basement."

The Givaudan plant had a catastrophic failure of a cooking vessel on Nov. 12, which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Louisville field office determined caused the explosion. The ATF said the equipment overheated because of poor ventilation or maintenance failures.

The blast collapsed the plant and caused a hazardous materials "incident" at the plant. It shattered surrounding windows and sent debris into homes and businesses in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood. 

"The fact that this plant is in this urban area like this. You know, we've seen explosions before, but the fact that it's in a neighborhood caused much more damage than it should have," Thomas said.

The lawsuit filed by Thomas Law Offices, PLLC in Prospect, Ky. claims the company was negligent in operating the plant in the residential area of Payne Street and failed to inspect and maintain equipment and should have known the risk of an explosion.  

The suit seeks an unspecified amount in in punitive damages. 

"There's really not much of a defense. We are concerned that some of our clients have been low-balled, essentially, when it comes to compensation for the damages that they've suffered. So that's one of the main reasons we got out in front of it and filed this lawsuit so that everybody knows they don't have to to accept whatever that first offer is," Thomas said. "There's no question that this was negligence."

A Louisville man also filed a lawsuit against Givaudan earlier this week with a request it be certified as a class action, which would allow other plaintiffs to join. The suit seeks unspecified monetary and other damages.

Clifton-area residents posted flyers on Payne Street with a link to a petition to "Get Givaudan out of Residential Areas." To learn more, click here.

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