In a tragic turn of events, a family from Orange County has initiated legal proceedings against retail giant Amazon, following a delivery truck accident which resulted in the death of their 2-year-old daughter.
The family is overwhelmed by grief, their loss rendered all the more poignant due to the circumstances of the accident. The mother, Mrs. Wu, expressed her anguish, “The loss to my family, I cannot express with words. It’s a trauma that has led to constant nightmares for us, constantly reminded of our loved one who is no more.”
The family’s attorney, Michael Alder, highlighted that Amazon has refused to disclose any further information or dashcam footage from the incident, barring the presence of a confidentiality agreement. Moreover, Amazon alleges that because the driver was employed via a third-party source, they cannot be held responsible for the incident.
Alder emphasized the need for public awareness on Amazon’s stand, stating, “We believe the public needs to know what Amazon is saying behind the scenes. When we asked Amazon to accept responsibility for a clearly negligent driver, they said it’s not our responsibility.”
The family has filed a 21-page wrongful death lawsuit, hoping to hold Amazon accountable for the actions of the delivery driver. Their ultimate aim is to prevent such devastating incidents from happening to other families. Alder voiced concerns about potential future victims, questioning, “We have the resources, we have the ability to fight them but what happens to the next and the next and the next? We don’t want that to happen to our client in this case, but we don’t want it to happen to anyone in the future.”
When approached for a comment, Amazon expressed their condolences to the bereaved family but refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. The Irvine Police Department reported that no charges have been pressed against the driver involved in the case, and they do not anticipate any forthcoming charges.
The family’s lawsuit brings to the forefront the ongoing debate over the role of large corporations in taking responsibility for their contracted workers’ actions. It also draws attention to the safety and regulatory standards that must be enforced in the fast-paced and rapidly growing e-commerce delivery industry to avoid such tragic incidents in the future.