Families of Hurricane Victims Outraged: "We Received Gift Cards as Compensation"

Outrageous: Families whose loved ones died at a plastic factory in Tennessee during Hurricane Helen floods say they recently received a 'slap in the face' from the company that employed their loved ones—gift cards for fast food.

These are six families of workers who were killed during the hurricane that struck the 'Impact Plastics' factory in East Tennessee, in September this year. Lawsuits filed against the company claim that the deaths were preventable, alleging that workers requested to leave but were denied.

The company, on the other hand, contends that its managers never told employees they could not leave. But now, the families of the deceased employees say they never heard this directly from the company and that after their loved ones' deaths, they received no acknowledgment or compensation—only gift cards for fast food, as a condolence gift.

The family of Berta Mendoza, one of the victims, said the gift cards added insult to injury. Her son, Guillermo Mendoza, said when Impact Plastics sent him his mother's final paycheck, he was shocked to find what was inside the envelope. "There were some McDonald's gift cards," Guillermo Mendoza said through tears. He also mentioned there were gift cards for Walmart and another local fast food chain called Pal's.

The gift cards totaled $100.

"It was like, 'Your mom died, but here, go get a burger', Guillermo Mendoza said in tears. "'This happened, so here's a little treat to make your day better.'

Even workers who survived the flood, like an employee named Robert Jarvis, reported receiving gift cards from the company. "I was in shock. It bothered me," Jarvis said. "That's how they treated us. Those gift cards summed up what they thought of us."

The law office representing the victims, Luke Widener's, stated, "This is a slap in the face, and we will undoubtedly respond," though the company has yet to comment on the gift cards sent.