On June 11, 2020, The California Assembly approved Assembly Bill 3262 to hold online markets, like Amazon, to the same legal standard as traditional brick and mortar stores when they sell defective and dangerous products that cause injuries or deaths.
For decades my law firm has represented consumers injured by a full range of defective and faulty products manufactured by Ford, General Motors, British Leyland, Chrysler, BMW, Nissan Motors, Olin, American LaFrance, Honda, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, DuPont, Werner Ladders, Shell Oil, Amoco, Chevron, Dow Chemical, Sears, and Bausch & Lomb.
In those cases the manufacturer, distributors and retail sellers are named as defendants because they are legally liable as a result of selling a defective product.
Online retailers have claimed that consumer protection laws holding businesses in the supply chain responsible when their products cause harm do not apply to e-commerce companies.
The bill by Mark Stone of Monterey Bay passed on a 48-to-10 vote, and is sponsored by Consumer Attorneys of California, California Teamsters Public Affairs Council and United Food and Commercial Workers Union Western States Council. It now goes to the California Senate.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, online purchases were reaching 15 percent of total sales. And now most probably more. There is no reason to give online retailers “sacred cow” status to claim that consumer protection laws don’t apply to them.
At least 40 percent of Amazon’s third-party suppliers that sell more than $1 million annually are based in China. Many of the products being exported are toys, like hoverboards that have been notoriously bursting into flames. As a practical matter suing a Chinese company is hopeless. But under Assembly Bill 3262, Amazon, and other online retailers, will be held responsible to make sure that consumer products manufactured by foreign corporations meet the same safety standards as the stores you buy from directly.
Contact an Experienced Consumer Product Liability Attorney
Alexander Law Group, LLP attorneys are available to answer questions and share our knowledge of the law and the results of our research and experience. Our goal as personal injury lawyers is to make a difference for our clients. Every day we deal with a range of health and safety issues that most people do not encounter until after an injury occurs. As safety lawyers we are committed to providing our clients and the public with information for safer and healthier living. Call 888-777-1776 or contact us online to schedule a consultation to see how we can help you.
