McEwen’s folks allege that the e-commerce large, in addition to a development corporate and actual property developer related to the power that skilled important structural injury after it used to be struck by way of an EF-3 twister on December 10, 2021, did not workout cheap care to offer protection to employees like their son from maintaining accidents or loss of life.
All the way through the click convention, held over Zoom, Alice McEwen, Austin’s mom and the administrator of his property, mentioned Amazon opted to not evacuate employees from the power in a well timed method because it sought to stay them satisfying orders.
“Apparently that Amazon positioned earnings first all the way through this vacation season as a substitute of the security of our son and the opposite 5 households who misplaced family members,” she mentioned.
In a remark to CNN Industry Monday, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel mentioned the corporate will protect towards the lawsuit whilst including that Amazon’s “focal point is still on supporting our workers and companions, the households who misplaced family members, the encircling neighborhood, and all the ones suffering from the tornadoes.”
Nantel mentioned the “lawsuit misunderstands key details, similar to the variation between more than a few kinds of serious climate and twister signals, in addition to the situation and protection of the development.” She additionally famous that whilst serious climate watches are commonplace within the space, it isn’t standard for companies to close down operations in anticipation of serious storms.
Requested whether or not some employees like McEwen had been directed to hunt refuge in a rest room, Amazon declined to remark past its remark.
Jack Casciato, spouse at Clifford Regulation Workplaces, informed CNN Industry Monday: “At the same time as early as December 9, it used to be very transparent that this space of Southwestern Illinois might be susceptible to a twister and the caution intensified all over the day.”
“The query Amazon must resolution is: ‘Why had been those employees provide at this facility?'” Casciato mentioned.
