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Amazon Tornado Warehouse Collapse Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: The family of deceased Amazon worker Austin McEwen has filed a lawsuit against the company.
- Why: McEwen’s family claims Amazon is responsible for McEwen being killed when the Illinois facility he was working in collapsed after it was struck by a tornado.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in Madison County, Illinois.
The family of an Amazon worker who died when part of the company’s central Illinois facility collapsed after being hit by a tornado on Dec. 10, 2021, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his employer.
Six of Amazon’s workers, including 26-year-old Austin McEwen, died during the incident with his family arguing his death could have been prevented, USA Today reports.
McEwen’s family claims Amazon failed to warn employees’ at the Edwardsville facility about the dangerous weather or to provide them with safe shelter prior to the tornado flattening the warehouse.
“Sadly, it appears that Amazon placed profits first during this holiday season instead of the safety of our son and the other five,” Alice McEwen said at a news conference on Jan. 17, USA Today reports.
The lawsuit names Amazon.com, the construction company that built the facility and the project’s developer as defendants.
Amazon Aware Severe Weather Conditions ‘Imminent,’ Family Argues
Amazon, while aware that severe and dangerous weather conditions were imminent, failed to come up with an emergency plan or evacuate any of its workers from the facility, McEwen’s family argues, USA Today reports.
Instead, Amazon had directed its workers to continue working up until right before the tornado struck the facility at which point it put them in further danger by having them take shelter in a rest room, the lawsuit alleges.
Amazon has contested the family’s claims, arguing that the facility was recently built, up-to-date on safety standards and that the company had appropriately been monitoring the severe weather patterns, USA Today reports.
“Severe weather watches are common in this part of the country and, while precautions are taken, are not cause for most businesses to close down. We believe our team did the right thing as soon as a warning was issued,” Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said in a statement.
Nantel says the company plans to defend itself against the allegations while also “supporting our employees and partners, the families who lost loved ones, the surrounding community and all those affected by the tornadoes,” USA Today reports.
Amazon recalled 3,500 childrens robes earlier this week after discovering they did not meet federal flammability standards.
Are you an Amazon employee who was impacted by its factory collapse during the tornado on Dec. 10, 2021? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Jack Casciato of Clifford Law Offices.
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3 thoughts onAmazon Lawsuit Claims Company Responsible For Death Of Worker After Tornado Flattens Illinois Facility
There was a tornado warning in Bridgeview,Illinois last summer, I was out making deliveries in Alsip, IL when my cell phone got a tornado warning and stated to take shelter. My Dispatcher still stated if I still feel comfortable continuing with my deliveries. This company does not care about its safety concerns with their employees.
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Yes I wAs there I kept calling dispatch they didn’t know what to do
So I headed to the station I was on the highway when I seen the building
torn off the ground the wind was blowing hold an people was running
And screaming it was the scariest night of my life I pray for the people that was in that building it almost was me and I still work there we moved to pontoon Beach