The trillion-dollar electronic commerce company, Amazon, is currently facing a wrongful death allegation. A claim of wrongful death generally occurs when the victim’s family believes their loved one’s death was caused by another party’s negligence.
In 2016, a 53-year-old Amazon employee tragically suffered a heart attack and died at his home. According to the recent lawsuit, his family is now claiming that Amazon’s failure to provide him disability benefits resulted in his death.
Two years ago, the employee found out he was suffering from HIV. A few weeks later, he suffered injuries after falling in the shower. His doctor urged him to take a medical leave from work. Amazon initially granted the employee a short-term leave of absence and disability insurance under the company’s health plan.
However, the company stopped providing the employee benefits in May 2016. While the employee appealed his request multiple times, he received no response. As a result, the employee began to suffer from severe depression. Tragically, he died six months later.
Amazon is now claiming that it lost the employee’s last appeal request until a few months after his death. Not only could Amazon be liable for the employee’s wrongful death, but the company is also facing claims of breach of contract, disability discrimination and negligence.
Proving a wrongful death claim can be complex. If your loved one recently died, and you think someone else’s negligence might be to blame, consult with legal professionals to determine if you should file a lawsuit.