3 min learnFeb 20, 2026 09:35 AM IST
The Washington Supreme Court docket dominated unanimously on Thursday that Amazon.com should face lawsuits by households that misplaced family who died by suicide after consuming sodium nitrite they purchased from exterior distributors on the retailer’s web site. All 9 justices rejected a ruling by an intermediate-level appeals courtroom that the households couldn’t sue Amazon for negligence as a result of suicide was a superseding explanation for their family’ deaths. Justice G. Helen Whitener wrote that Amazon owed clients an obligation of affordable care, and should keep away from exposing them to “hurt from the foreseeable conduct of a third get together.” She stated a jury ought to resolve whether or not suicide was a foreseeable results of the Seattle-based retailer’s alleged failure to train that responsibility.
Amazon defends security dedication
Twenty-eight households have filed lawsuits alleging that Amazon has recognized for years in regards to the hyperlink between sodium nitrite and suicide but continued to permit unrestricted gross sales, alongside different merchandise that would help in suicides. They’ve labeled these merchandise collectively as “suicide kits.”
The households are in search of unspecified damages from Amazon below a Washington state product legal responsibility regulation for his or her family’ deaths. Thursday’s resolution coated appeals by 4 of the households, who stated they misplaced family ages 17 to 27 who consumed 98% or 99.6% pure sodium nitrite in 2020 and 2021. Amazon stated it disagreed with the choice, and was dedicated to the protection of all its clients. It expressed condolences to households affected by suicide.
Sodium nitrite is used as a meals preservative
The case is one in all many in search of to carry on-line gross sales platforms equivalent to Amazon answerable for merchandise offered by third-party distributors. “Amazon is one in all the world’s largest corporations, and shouldn’t be benefiting from merchandise they know folks use to hurt themselves,” Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for the households, stated in an interview.
Sodium nitrite is a authorized chemical usually used as a preservative in meals, equivalent to meat and fish. It additionally can be utilized in analysis laboratories, and within the remedy of cyanide poisoning. In its assertion, Amazon stated extremely concentrated sodium nitrite “isn’t supposed for direct consumption, and sadly, like many merchandise, it may be misused.” Amazon stated it now prohibits gross sales of sodium nitrite with purity ranges above 10%.