TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 21, 2025

Managers of Impact Plastics, the plant in Erwin where six employees were swept away and died in Hurricane Helene floodwaters, are not legally responsible for those deaths, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced last week. The decision followed an investigation that, according to the bureau, found no criminal wrongdoing. No charges will be filed in the case. According to Knox News, the investigation showed Impact Plastics owner Gerald O’Connor dismissed employees in September with enough time and when there were “available paths of evacuation.” The findings mirror those of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but contradict what many employees told news outlets after the floods — that managers would not allow them to leave until it was too late. The company has denied it forced employees to stay as floodwaters rose. One family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company.