Tennessee Family’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit Shows Knoxville Families Options for Justice under Tennessee Wrongful Death Laws
On September 27, 2024, a Tennessee family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging “reckless and negligent conduct” on the part of Impact Plastics, a company that has employed their loved one. Impact Plastics, a plastics plant in Erwin, Tennessee, was the site of a horrific accident during Hurricane Helene, in which hurricane floodwaters literally “swept away” five workers who were working at the plastics plant that late September day. The lawsuit alleges that Impact Plastics not only knew that the plant should have been closed in light of other closures in the county, but that it also “prevented employees from escaping the factory before it was too late.” The family of Johnny Peterson, one of the employees who was killed during the accident, allege that “Peterson and other employees clung to the rails of a semi-trailer truck bed as the nearby Nolichucky River engulfed the industrial park and toppled telephone poles….” They also allege that “Overwhelming floodwaters and debris tipped the trailer and swept employees away…” and that “Peterson’s body was recovered days later.”
Impact Plastics denied any “wrongdoing” in response to the wrongful death lawsuit filing. Impact Plastics CEO Gerald O’Connor said of the terrible accident and the company’s failure to get employees out of the building fast enough and to safety, that “employees were told to leave the plant at least 45 minutes before the gigantic force of the flood hit the industrial park.” However, the family of Johnny Peterson allege in their lawsuit that O’Connor and Impact Plastics, “ignored every warning, putting lives in danger to fill an order.” The suit seeks to recover at least $25million in damages for the family of Johnny Peterson for the loss of their loved one.
The accident that ended in multiple fatalities has caught the attention of advocacy organizations, with a Tennessee for All spokesperson stating, “Sadly, this is just the latest example of corporate profits being put ahead of people in Tennessee…We’ve seen far too many workers die or be injured, or die while at work.”
Knoxville Families Have Options for Justice Under Tennessee Wrongful Death Laws
In light of the horrific accident that took Johnny Peterson and four other Tennessee workers’ lives, it is important for Knoxville families to know that they have rights and options for justice if their loved one is killed due to the negligent conduct of another person or party. Under Tennessee wrongful death laws, the families of those who have been killed in fatal accidents in Knoxville due to another person or party’s negligent conduct may file a lawsuit in court for money compensation. In order to determine whether you may be owed compensation for the death of your loved one Knoxville, it is important to speak to an experienced Knoxville wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible.
The experienced wrongful death lawyers at the law firm Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC are here to help Knoxville families get justice for the death of their loved ones. Contact Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC today and speak to an experienced lawyer about your case now.
Source:
tennesseelookout.com/2024/10/17/wrongful-death-suit-filed-by-east-tenn-factory-workers-family-contests-companys-account-of-flood/
