Is Amazon turning a blind eye to hazardous products?

On Behalf of | Oct 29, 2020 | Product Liability |

Every year, thousands of products in West Virginia and throughout the country are recalled due to safety concerns. Under U.S. product liability law, a manufacturer or anyone involved in selling the product to the consumer is liable for injuries caused by the product.

While liabilities occurring due to negligence and breach of warranty imply that the consumer may need to prove breach of duty, strict liability clause does not require a consumer to prove anything. For manufacturers, suppliers and vendors, it means that they need to keep a close eye on customer complaints related to defective products.

Hazardous AmazonBasics products

In early October, House Democrats called Amazon to outline the company’s product oversight process due to increasing complaints by customers regarding AmazonBasics products. According to the report published on CNN, there were at least 1,500 customer reviews on more than 70 AmazonBasics defective items that included reports of products catching fire, melting, smoking and creating dangerous situations.

In the letter to Amazon, two House Democrats severely criticized the company for turning a blind eye on such complaints. They claimed that Amazon has failed to recall several products despite consumers posting photos of defective items. The company’s policy of deleting product listings from the website does not do anything to avoid personal injury and solve the problem.

The House representatives also urged Amazon to rectify its policy of labeling many of its own products with “Amazon’s Choice” and “Best Seller” without describing where the products are manufactured. The letter called Amazon to reply back regarding its oversight policy and information on recalled products. Responding to the allegations, Amazon representatives highlighted a recent blog post that explains how the company tries to keep its products safe. Amazon also rejected allegations of misconduct and negligence.

Individuals who have been injured by defective products may want to seek compensation from the manufacturer. An attorney may help injured victims identify all liable parties and file a lawsuit.