Safety Issues Can Lead to Premises Liability for Huge Retailer

Amazon is one of the nation’s largest retailers with a large number of warehouses that are used to fulfill the vast number of online orders that the retailer receives. The company claims that worker safety is a top priority in New Jersey and around the country, and yet incidents of worker injuries and deaths continue to plague the online retailer and could lead to cases of premises liability. Recent incidents include two deaths and a serious injury.

In the most recent incident, a can of bear spray fell off a shelf and discharged its contents. It happened at the Amazon warehouse located in Robbinsville. As a result of the incident, 54 people required medical assistance. Of those, 24 were hospitalized and one person is in critical condition.

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is concerned and wants to see the company do a better job of fulfilling orders without hurting people. One person recently died in a conveyor belt accident. Another fatality happened when a worker was struck by a fork lift, and another person was injured when he was run over by a truck.

Thousands of people are employed in Amazon warehouses as full-time employees. Several thousand more have been hired as holiday help. While warehouse work carries inherent risks, proper safety precautions and training can help protect workers from injury. If an injury does happen that one thinks could have been prevented, a premises liability suit may be an option in New Jersey. A successfully litigated civil suit can provide compensation for lost wages, medical costs and other verifiable losses.