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Austin McEwen’s dad and mom allege that the e-commerce big, in addition to a development firm and actual property developer related to the Edwardsville, Illinois facility that skilled vital structural harm after it was struck by an EF-3 twister on December 10, 2021, didn’t train cheap care to guard employees like their son from sustaining accidents or loss of life.
Mr McEwen, 26, who labored as an unbiased contractor making deliveries for Amazon, sought shelter in a rest room on the facility, in keeping with a replica of the lawsuit supplied by Clifford Legislation Workplaces, which is representing the McEwens.
Through the press convention, held over Zoom, Alice McEwen, Austin’s mom and the administrator of his property, mentioned Amazon opted to not evacuate employees from the ability in a well timed method because it sought to maintain them fulfilling orders.
“It seems that Amazon positioned income first throughout this vacation season as a substitute of the security of our son and the opposite 5 households who misplaced family members,” she mentioned.
In an announcement to CNN Enterprise, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel mentioned the corporate will defend towards the lawsuit whereas including that Amazon’s “focus continues to be on supporting our staff and companions, the households who misplaced family members, the encompassing group, and all these affected by the tornadoes”.
Ms Nantel mentioned the “lawsuit misunderstands key info, such because the distinction between numerous kinds of extreme climate and twister alerts, in addition to the situation and security of the constructing.”
She additionally famous that whereas extreme climate watches are frequent within the space, it isn’t typical for companies to close down operations in anticipation of extreme storms.
Requested whether or not some employees like Mr McEwen had been directed to hunt shelter in a rest room, Amazon declined to remark past its assertion.
The Occupational Security and Well being Administration opened an investigation into the collapse of the Edwardsville facility final month.
OSHA, the federal company that investigates office security incidents, has six months to finish the investigation.
Jack Casciato, companion at Clifford Legislation Workplaces, informed CNN Enterprise: “At the same time as early as December 9, it was very clear that this space of Southwestern Illinois may very well be prone to a twister and the warning intensified all through the day.”
“The query Amazon must reply is: ‘Why had been these employees current at this facility?'” Mr Casciato mentioned.
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