WA Supreme Court rules lawsuit against Amazon ‘suicide kits’ can proceed

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that lawsuits against Amazon regarding the sale of sodium nitrite, a chemical used in suicides, can proceed. At least ten lawsuits have been filed since 2022 by families who lost relatives to suicide after purchasing the chemical from the online retailer. A previous appeals court ruling dismissed the cases, arguing the deaths were self-inflicted, but the Supreme Court reversed this decision, stating that Amazon has a “legal duty to exercise reasonable care” regarding the sale of the chemical. The court determined that a jury should decide if the consequences of selling sodium nitrite, including suicide, were foreseeable.

Amazon has restricted sales of high-concentration sodium nitrite, initially to Amazon Business buyers and later prohibiting sales above 10% concentration, claiming the product is intended for food preservation and can be misused. Plaintiffs argue that Amazon previously allowed vendors to sell highly pure sodium nitrite directly to consumers, even bundling it with items like scales and suicide instruction manuals, effectively creating “veritable suicide kits.”

Chief Justice Steven González noted the bundling practice was akin to physically placing these items together on a store shelf. State lawmakers also passed “Tyler’s Law” to limit the sale of high-concentration sodium nitrite to verified commercial businesses. While the ruling doesn’t establish Amazon’s liability, it allows the case to move forward to trial in King County Superior Court.

(Source：Yakima Herald-republic)