More Lawsuits Filed Against Mayfield Consumer Products

The Mayfield Consumer Products faces more lawsuits after the December tornado that left eight employees dead. The MCP factory was a 24-hour operation that produced candles for retailers, including Bath & Body Works.

Eight survivors of the December candle-factory collapse on March 3 filed a Verified Class Action Civil Complaint. According to the suit, on Dec. 10, 2021, MCP required the plaintiffs and 102 similarly situated employees to continue to work at its place of business even though it knew or should have known about the expected tornado and the danger of serious bodily injuries and death to its employees and others at its place of business, if its employees and others were required to remain at its place of business during the pendency of the expected tornado.

“Further investigation has revealed the depth of the liability and willful acts that caused these harms,” said Attorney Amos Jones, of Washington, D.C. “Fifty hours of interviews and research compelled seven more victims to step up as Class Representatives on behalf of the more than 100 employees trapped that Friday night in their workplace, and they have sworn under oath to the truthfulness of their claims on the Complaint itself.”

In the suit, the plaintiffs allege:

• MCP had a history of workplace safety violations in recent years, having been cited by the Kentucky Department of Workplace Standards, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, for serious transgressions as recently as 2019.

• In September 2019 alone, that state division issued seven violations of safety standards coded as “serious,” resulting in fines.

• By December 2021, MCP had been ramping up production to meet holiday demand, and employees were working 10 to 12-hour shifts with required Saturdays for incentive and/or overtime pay.

• During this season, MCP employees were working 10-hour shifts five days per week.