Impression Plastics and its CEO, Gerald O’Connor, have been sued by the household of one in every of its Tennessee staff who was killed by catastrophic flooding attributable to Hurricane Helene. The wrongful loss of life lawsuit claims that employees have been pressured to remain at their posts even when managers knew situations have been rising harmful.

Johnny Peterson was among the many Impression Plastics staff who died Sept. 27 after Helene’s flooding hit Erwin, a small, rural city in japanese Tennessee. Most of the surviving staff have said they weren’t allowed to go away the plant in time to keep away from the storm’s influence. 

As an alternative, it wasn’t till water had flooded the plant’s parking zone and the ability went out that managers despatched employees residence.

“Whereas most companies within the space shut down to guard their staff, Impression Plastics and Mr. O’Connor selected revenue,” the lawsuit claims.

The raging waters swept 11 folks away and solely 5 have been rescued. Two of them are confirmed useless and are a part of a toll throughout six states that’s almost 250 useless. 4 others from the manufacturing unit are nonetheless lacking after they have been washed away in Erwin, the place dozens of individuals a few mile away have been additionally rescued off the roof of a hospital.

“Primarily based on data we have uncovered, together with accounts from surviving staff, we imagine this tragedy might have been prevented,” Alex Little, an lawyer representing Peterson’s household, mentioned in a press release. “Impression Plastics was conscious of the flood dangers, and whereas staff requested permission to go away, the corporate didn’t act. We are going to maintain them accountable.”

The 28-page lawsuit, filed Monday, alleges that Impression Plastics did not have an emergency motion plan, regardless that the manufacturing unit was situated in a federally-designated flood plain.

The lawsuit claims that whereas native colleges and different companies introduced closures due to Hurricane Helene, Impression Plastics instructed its staff to report back to work as a result of the corporate “needed to satisfy order deadlines.”

One worker instructed CBS Mornings earlier this month that the deaths of his co-workers have been “mindless.”

“Everybody was in pure panic mode, not understanding what to do,” Impression Plastics worker Richard Jarvis instructed CBS. “We had no evacuation plan in any way.”

O’Connor’s lawyer didn’t instantly reply to an e-mail requesting remark Tuesday.

Allegations within the Impression Plastics lawsuit

The swimsuit additionally gives a sobering breakdown of Peterson’s ultimate moments together with his household, together with textual content messages revealing his fears that he wouldn’t escape the flood waters.

Simply hours prior, the lawsuit says staff started receiving notifications round 10 a.m. urging all who might to evacuate to increased floor. At round 10:30 a.m., staff have been instructed to maneuver their automobiles as a result of the parking zone was flooding.

The lawsuit goes on to say that senior administration, together with O’Connor, had “stealthily exited the constructing” round 11:35 a.m. and staff believed they have been dismissed from work. Peterson, who had stepped outdoors, went again into the constructing to assist staff “trapped inside” however ultimately grew to become trapped himself after the water made it not possible to go away by automotive.

Peterson managed to climb onto a mattress of a semi-trailer trying to flee the world. However by about 1 p.m., the parking zone was fully submerged, toppling phone polls and caving within the partitions of the Impression Plastics constructing, the lawsuit claims.

“Johnny knew he couldn’t survive for much longer because the water ranges continued to swell and pummel the semi-trailer. He texted his daughter for the final time at 1:17 p.m. ‘I like you allllll,’ he managed to kind out.

“This was the final textual content Alexa Peterson obtained from her father,” the lawsuit said.

“Johnny’s father tried in desperation to achieve emergency companies however couldn’t. At 1:27 p.m., he requested his son ‘You okay,’ to which his son responded ‘Not for Lengthy.’ This was the final textual content Johnny despatched to anybody,” the lawsuit continued.

The lawsuit alleges that Impression Plastics and O’Connor’s actions symbolize a “gross deviation from the usual of care that an extraordinary individual would train underneath all of the circumstances.”

Tennessee investigation

The lawsuit comes after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation introduced earlier this month that it was investigating allegations involving Impression Plastics on the path of the native prosecutor. The state’s office security workplace has additionally opened its personal probe into the circumstances behind the deaths.

Impression Plastics has maintained that it monitored climate situations on Sept. 27 and that managers dismissed staff “when water started to cowl the parking zone and the adjoining service highway, and the plant misplaced energy.”

In the meantime, O’Connor has mentioned no staff have been pressured to maintain working they usually have been evacuated not less than 45 minutes earlier than the huge drive of the flood hit the commercial park.