JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – An attorney representing several Impact Plastics workers and their families is disputing parts of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (TOSHA) findings that were released Wednesday. This comes as a result of TOSHA’s investigation into the events at Impact Plastics on Sept. 27, 2024, when Hurricane Helene caused fatal floods to rip through Unicoi County.
TOSHA: No citations for Impact Plastics, Helene deaths weren’t work-related
Milberg law firm represents six Impact Plastics employees or their families. Greg Coleman, a partner at the firm, told News Channel 11 the firm has several issues with TOSHA’s report. He specifically cited a reference to a bilingual employee on site who was told to advise the Hispanic workers to leave while everyone was still in the facility.
“That person happens to be my client,” Coleman said. “Our client. The firm’s client. And I can tell you with utmost certainty that that did not happen. She was never advised by anyone in upper management to tell the Hispanic workers or others to leave until it was far, far, far too late.”
Coleman also pointed to the fact that Impact Plastics was the only business in the area that sustained loss of life.
“[Impact] Plastics was the only business that had any death or tragedy occur,” Coleman said. “All of the other businesses in that industrial park area where the hurricane and its flood waters hit, everybody else evacuated timely. Everybody else was told to go home timely, but not Impact Plastics employees.”…