The family of 57-year-old Jose Rangel, a beloved street vendor and father from South LA, has filed a lawsuit against Amazon after he was tragically killed by a man driving a stolen Amazon truck. The incident occurred on February 17, 2022, when the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Cristian Ramos Sanchez, entered an unattended Amazon truck and sped away. While driving in the area of East 48th Street and South Main Street, Sanchez lost control of the vehicle, striking Rangel and three others on the sidewalk. Rangel was pinned against a building by the truck and died at the scene.
Sanchez later accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to nine years in prison for his actions. However, Rangel’s family holds Amazon partially responsible for the incident and has sued the company, alleging negligence. They claim that Amazon was negligent in leaving the truck running, unlocked, and unattended, asserting that the company should share the blame for Rangel’s untimely death.
Maria Guajardo, Rangel’s daughter, expressed the immense suffering their family has endured since the tragedy. She described her father as a wonderful man who did not deserve to die in such a manner, and she hopes that Amazon will acknowledge its responsibility in the incident.
Amazon, on the other hand, has stated that although its logo was visible on the uniform and truck involved, Sanchez was never an Amazon employee. As a result, the company argues that it bears no liability for the incident.
According to the lawsuit filed by the Dordulian Law Group, Amazon is accused of implementing policies that place significant pressure on workers and drivers to meet strict deadlines. The suit alleges that publicly available information indicates that delivery drivers are forced to make sacrifices, such as urinating in bottles, to keep up with Amazon’s demanding pace. The lawsuit claims that these deadlines prioritize profits over safety, potentially endangering drivers and pedestrians alike.
The Rangel family’s lawsuit against Amazon seeks accountability and aims to shed light on the alleged negligence in the company’s operations. The case raises important questions about the responsibility corporations have to ensure the safety of their operations and the well-being of those affected by their business activities.
