Wrongful death lawsuit alleges Amazon caused death of worker

The surviving family of a deceased 53-year-old man who worked for Amazon.com, Inc. has filed a lawsuit that claims the company’s mishandling of disability benefits resulted in the man’s death. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon lost the man’s final appeal for disability benefits. The legal filings assert that the company found his paperwork fives months following his death.

Originally, the man took a position as a senior human resources business analyst at Amazon in 2015. The next year, he began working from home because of medical needs arising from HIV and other problems. During this time, he suffered disabling injuries after falling in the shower. He applied for benefits through the short-term disability plan offered by Amazon, and the company granted him a leave of absence.

According to the legal complaint, Amazon halted benefits because medical records no longer supported his claim. He appealed the decision multiple times and asked to continue working from home. Amazon denied his requests, and his family said that he slid into a severe depression. On Nov. 28, 2016, a heart attack claimed his life. His family attributes his downfall to the company’s incompetent handling of his benefits paperwork.

A person who suffers the loss of a loved one might pursue damages if another party’s negligence contributed to the death. A consultation with an attorney could inform a family member about how to proceed with a wrongful death claim. To support the recovery of money for funeral expenses or loss of household income, an attorney could collect evidence to support a claim of negligence and prepare court paperwork for a lawsuit.

Source: Geek Wire, “Amazon sued by family of deceased employee claiming wrongful death and discrimination“, Monica Nickelsburg, Nov. 29, 2018