The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that families of four young people who died after ingesting sodium nitrite purchased through Amazon can pursue negligence claims against the company.
In a unanimous opinion, the court rejected a lower court decision that dismissed the lawsuits, saying suicide is not automatically a superseding cause that bars liability under Washington’s product liability law. The consolidated lawsuits were filed by families of three people, ages 17, 18, and 27, who died between 2020 and 2021 after ingesting the chemical purchased through Amazon’s website.
The families allege Amazon sold high-purity sodium nitrite without age verification or prominent warnings about its lethality. Sodium nitrite is highly toxic, with ingestion of as little as 1 to 2 grams potentially deadly. The families also alleged Amazon’s website recommended related items to customers viewing sodium nitrite listings, including a scale, acid-reducing medication, and a book containing suicide instructions.
The plaintiffs claim Amazon knew for years the chemical was being used in suicides, citing customer complaints, poison-control data, and a 2021 FDA letter about mislabeled products. The court emphasized Washington law imposes a general duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid foreseeable harm. Whether suicide was a foreseeable consequence of Amazon’s conduct remains a question for a jury.
Amazon stated it globally restricted high-concentration sodium nitrite sales in October 2022 and as of November 2025 prohibits sales of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10%. “Customer safety is a top priority at Amazon,” a spokesperson said. “While we disagree with the Court’s ruling, we remain committed to the safety of all our customers.”
