Man sues Greif for wrongful termination

HUNTINGTON -- A man is suing Greif, Inc., after he claims he was wrongfully terminated from his employment.

On Feb. 23, 2010, Brian Gilkerson was working for the defendant as a shipping bander when he slipped and fell and got his leg lodged in between a conveyor belt and a photo stand during the course of his employment, according to a complaint filed Feb. 21 in Cabell Circuit Court.

Gilkerson claims the following day he went into work and attended a safety meeting, and after the meeting he advised his supervisor that he had injured himself the previous day and was not experiencing pain in his knee and leg.

The supervisor subsequently had him fill out an accident report regarding the injury which he had sustained, according to the suit.

Gilkerson claims after completing the accident report, he went back to work until he was called into the plant manager's office.

Instead of addressing Gilkerson's injury, the defendant presented him with a termination letter stating that he was being fired for "failure to report injuries by the end of the shift in which they occurred," according to the suit.

Gilkerson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. He is being represented by David M. Adkins.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge David M. Pancake.

Cabell Circuit Court case number: 12-C-107