Families Can Sue Amazon Over Suicide Deaths, Washington High Court Decides

Washington's highest court ruled that Amazon must face lawsuits from families whose relatives died by suicide after purchasing sodium nitrite from third-party sellers on the platform. The unanimous decision allows 28 families to pursue negligence claims against the retail giant, arguing the company knew about the chemical's deadly misuse but continued allowing unrestricted sales.

The Washington Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling Thursday allowing grieving families to pursue legal action against Amazon over the suicide deaths of their loved ones who purchased sodium nitrite through the online marketplace.

The state’s highest court overturned a lower appeals court decision that had blocked the families from suing Amazon for negligence, with that earlier court claiming suicide represented an intervening cause that broke the chain of responsibility.

In the majority opinion, Justice G. Helen Whitener determined that Amazon bears a responsibility to exercise reasonable care toward its customers and must prevent exposing them to “harm from the foreseeable conduct of a third party.”

Whitener stated that a jury should determine whether suicide deaths were a predictable outcome of the Seattle company’s alleged failure to meet this standard of care.

The legal challenge involves 28 families who claim Amazon has been aware for years of sodium nitrite’s connection to suicide deaths but has permitted unrestricted sales of the chemical along with other items that could facilitate self-harm. The plaintiffs refer to these combined products as “suicide kits.”

These families are pursuing damages under Washington state’s product liability statutes following their relatives’ deaths.

Thursday’s ruling specifically addressed appeals from four families whose relatives, ranging in age from 17 to 27, consumed sodium nitrite with purity levels of 98% or 99.6% during 2020 and 2021.

Amazon responded by stating its disagreement with the court’s decision while reaffirming its dedication to customer safety and offering sympathy to families impacted by suicide.

This case represents part of a broader legal trend attempting to hold online marketplaces like Amazon accountable for items sold by independent vendors on their platforms.

“Amazon is one of the world’s biggest companies, and shouldn’t be profiting from products they know people use to harm themselves,” said Carrie Goldberg, an attorney representing the families.

Sodium nitrite serves as a legitimate chemical compound commonly employed as a food preservative in meat and fish products. The substance also has applications in research facilities and as a treatment for cyanide poisoning.

Amazon acknowledged in its response that highly concentrated sodium nitrite “is not intended for direct consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused.”

The company has since implemented restrictions prohibiting the sale of sodium nitrite products with concentrations exceeding 10%.