Amazon sued by tornado victim's family

Amazon sued by tornado victim's family

Twenty-six-year-old Austin McEwen was killed when an EF-3 tornado struck the Amazon     facility in Illinois

The family of a former-Amazon worker has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon in Illinois state court. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon failed to provide workers with proper protection or warning before a tornado struck a company facility, killing six persons.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the 26-year-old victim Austin McEwen, who was killed in December last when an EF-3 tornado struck the Edwardsville, Illinois Amazon facility. It was one in a string of deadly tornadoes that struck the Midwest.

Responding to the lawsuit, an Amazon spokesperson said, "Severe weather watches are common in this part of the country and, while precautions are taken, these are not the cause for most businesses to close down. We believe our team did the right thing as soon as a warning was issued."

At the time of the incident, McEwen worked as an independent contractor running deliveries for Amazon. The workers were required to stay at the facility to fulfill the 'peak season' orders ahead of the holidays.

According to the lawsuit, Amazon knew or should have known a tornado could potentially strike the Edwardsville facility. But it was late when the "take shelter now" tornado warning was issued for the Edwardsville area. The complaint alleged that Amazon had instructed the workers to take shelter in a restroom.

"They had people working up to the point of no return," said Jack Casciato, the McEwens' lawyer.

The defendants in the lawsuit are Amazon's (corporation and limited liability) companies; the construction company that built the Edwardsville facility; and the facility developer.

The McEwens have sought $50,000 from each defendant.

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the incident, it is the first known legal action against Amazon resulting from the building collapse.