‘Your mom died, but go get a burger’: Impact Plastics sent flood victims fast food gift cards, families say

Impact Plastics is accused of not letting employees leave in enough time to escape flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Published: Jan. 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM CST|Updated: 13 hours ago
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Families whose loved ones were killed at Impact Plastics last fall continue to grieve. While they said they had not heard directly from anyone at the company, the families told WSMV4 Investigator Courtney Allen that the company sent them fast food gift cards.

Impact Plastics is accused of not letting employees leave in enough time to escape flooding from Hurricane Helene. The company denies that. The families said the gift cards they received after the flood added insult to injury.

“We lost the backbone of our family,” Guillermo Mendoza said.

Impact Plastics is accused of not letting employees leave in enough time to escape flooding from Hurricane Helene. The company denies that.

The backbone of the Mendoza family, Bertha Mendoza, was killed after flooding from Hurricane Helene hit Impact Plastics in September.

“We are just trying to pick up the pieces,” her son, Guillermo, said.

Guillermo said Bertha worked at the East Tennessee plastics factory for several years. He said when the company sent his family his mom’s final check, he was surprised to find what else was in the envelope.

“It had some McDonald’s gift cards,” Guillermo said.

Guillermo said there was $100 worth of gift cards to McDonald’s, Walmart, and “Pal’s Bucks.” Pal’s is another fast-food restaurant in the area. “It was like, ‘your mom died. Go get a burger,’” Guillermo said. “It happened, so here is a little snack.”

Surviving employees like Robert Jarvis said they also received the gift cards. “I was shocked, and it bothered me,” Jarvis said. “That is how they treated us and what they thought about us.”

Class action law firm Milberg is representing Jarvis, the Mendozas and other families. Other families also received the gift cards, according to attorney Luke Widener. “It was a slap in the face,” Widener said.

Attorneys for Impact Plastics and its owner, Gerald O’Connor, have not responded to our request for comment. “Obviously, we are very upset,” Guillermo said.

Guillermo said his mom and dad would have celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary last week, “We are trying to find out how to move forward.”

Guillermo said he worked at Impact Plastics during college. His aunt, who is his mom’s sister, also worked at the factory for more than 16 years. Guillermo said his aunt survived the flood that day and was the one who told Guillermo that his mom did not make it. Attorneys said she too received the gift cards.