The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, saying it is selling dangerous products to its customers. According to a CNN news report, the federal safety watchdog is suing Amazon to make it stop selling these products in its online marketplace. Among the dangerous products cited in the lawsuit are carbon monoxide detectors that fail to warn, children’s pajamas that could catch fire, and nearly 400,000 hair dryers that could electrocute people if dropped in water.
Strong Action by Federal Agency
Amazon does not directly sell the products cited in this lawsuit but by third parties using the platform. CPSC officials said taking such an aggressive stance is the only way to keep consumers safe from these dangerous and defective products. Third-party sellers account for more than half of the products sold on Amazon. The company collects commissions on the sales, with Amazon pocketing $80 billion in such commissions in the last year alone.
The CPSC wants to force Amazon to stop selling the products, to work with agency staff on a recall of the products, and to directly notify consumers who purchased the product about the recall and offer them a full refund. Several of Amazon’s own products have been reported as dangerous – melting, exploding, or even bursting into flames.
Many of these dangerous products are still on the market. A CNN investigation last year exposed several of these products, after which the CPSC launched investigations into several AmazonBasics products, including car chargers, surge protectors, and microwaves.
Product Liability Issues
As product defect attorneys, we are deeply concerned about these dangerous products that can cause serious or deadly injuries. It’s time that Amazon stops putting profits and sales over consumer safety, especially as more and more consumers turn to the online marketplace as we attempt to pull out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon does bear responsibility for the dangerous and defective products sold on its platform because the company has made tens of billions of dollars in commissions from the sales of these products. If you or a loved one has been injured by AmazonBasics products or other products sold by third parties on Amazon.com, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced product defect lawyer who can provide more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/15/tech/cpsc-sues-amazon/index.html
