SEATTLE (KOMO) — The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that families of four young people who died after ingesting a chemical purchased online via Amazon can pursue negligence claims against the corporate behemoth, rejecting a lower court decision that had dismissed the lawsuits.
In a unanimous opinion, the court said that suicide is not automatically a “superseding cause” that bars liability under Washington’s product liability law, allowing the cases to move forward toward trial.
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The consolidated lawsuits were filed by the families and estates of three different young people, ages 17, 18, and 27, who died between 2020 and 2021 after ingesting sodium nitrite they had purchased through Amazon’s website.
The families of the deceased allege that Amazon.com, Inc.’s sales practices, including product recommendations, lack of safeguards, and inadequate warnings, contributed to the deaths.
The decision reverses a ruling from the Washington Court of Appeals Division One, which had concluded that the victims’ suicides were a superseding cause that prevented the families from stating a claim under the Washington Product Liability Act. The state high court disagreed, saying that at the early stage of litigation, it could not determine “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Amazon’s alleged conduct did not proximately cause the deaths.
According to court filings, Amazon sold high-purity sodium nitrite – a chemical used in laboratories and food preservation – without age verification or prominent warnings about its lethality. Sodium nitrite is highly toxic, with ingestion of as little as 1-2 grams being potentially deadly to humans.
The families also alleged the company’s website recommended related items, including a scale, an acid-reducing medication, and a book containing instructions on suicide methods, to customers who viewed sodium nitrite listings.
The plaintiffs claim Amazon had been aware for years that the chemical was being used in suicides, citing customer complaints, poison-control data, and a 2021 letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about mislabeled products sold through the site.
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The court emphasized that Washington law imposes a general duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid foreseeable harm. Whether suicide was a foreseeable consequence of Amazon’s alleged conduct, and whether the company breached its duty, are questions for a jury, the justices wrote.
The ruling reinstates a trial court order denying Amazon’s motion to dismiss, allowing the negligence claims to proceed. The company may still raise defenses later in the case, the court noted.
A concurring opinion added that, if proven, the plaintiffs’ allegations could support liability under multiple provisions of state product liability law, but agreed that factual questions should be decided by a jury.
KOMO News reached out to Amazon for a response, and an Amazon Spokesperon provided this statement:
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones personally affected by suicide. Customer safety is a top priority at Amazon. We are committed to a safe shopping experience and require our selling partners to follow all applicable laws and regulations when listing items in our store. Sodium nitrite is a widely-available product offered by retailers to preserve foods, such as meats and fish, and for use in laboratories as a reagent. High concentration sodium nitrite is not intended for direct consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused. To minimize the potential for product misuse, we prohibit the sale of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10%. While we disagree with the Court’s ruling, we remain committed to the safety of all our customers.”
Amazon stated it globally restricted the sale of high-concentration sodium nitrite to Amazon buyers in October 20, 2022. As of November 2025, the company prohibits the sale of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10%.
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. You can visit 988lifeline.org or call 988 to speak with someone directly.
