Amazon logo is seen in this illustration created on February 11, 2025. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
- The Washington Supreme Court ruled that Amazon must face negligence lawsuits from families whose relatives died after ingesting sodium nitrite purchased on its platform.
- The court overturned a lower court decision that had dismissed the cases on the grounds that suicide was a superseding cause of death.
- Families allege Amazon knew for years that sodium nitrite was linked to suicides but continued selling it without restrictions.
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Feb 19 – The Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that Amazon.com must face lawsuits brought by families with relatives who took their own lives by consuming sodium nitrite they bought on the online retailer’s platform.
It rejected a lower court’s ruling that the families could not pursue negligence claims under a Washington state product liability law, because suicide was a superseding cause of their relatives’ deaths.
Four families accused Amazon of promoting the sale of sodium nitrite on its website alongside other products that could assist people in carrying out suicides.
They said the Seattle-based retailer has known of the link between sodium nitrite and suicide for years yet continued to sell the product without restrictions.
Amazon and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Joe Bavier)
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