The Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Amazon must face lawsuits from families whose relatives died by suicide after consuming sodium nitrite purchased through the platform. The court rejected Amazon's argument that suicide was a superseding cause, finding the company owed customers a duty of reasonable care.

Justice G. Helen Whitener wrote that a jury should decide whether suicide was a foreseeable result of Amazon's alleged failure to exercise that duty. Twenty-eight families have filed lawsuits alleging Amazon knew about the link between sodium nitrite and suicide yet allowed unrestricted sales. The families seek unspecified damages under Washington state product liability law.

Amazon expressed disagreement with the ruling and emphasized its commitment to customer safety. The company noted it now prohibits sales of sodium nitrite with purity levels above 10%, down from 98-99.6% purity levels involved in the 2020-2021 deaths. This case represents a significant challenge to online platforms' liability for third-party vendor products, potentially exposing Amazon to substantial legal and financial risks.