Relatives of a street vendor fatally struck by a stolen Amazon delivery truck in South Los Angeles have sued the e-commerce giant, alleging it shares responsibility for the death despite using independent contractor drivers for deliveries.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed May 24 by Sonia Rangel, the widow of Jose Rangel, and the couple’s two sons, Pablo and Carlos Rangel. The complaint alleges negligence/wrongful death as well negligent hiring, training and supervision and negligent entrustment. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages.
There was no immediate response to an email sent to an Amazon representative after the close of regular business hours seeking comment.
The Amazon truck driver was delivering packages in the 4100 block of Woodlawn Avenue, one block east of Main Street, about 2 p.m. Feb. 17, 2022, and left the vehicle unattended, unlocked and with the keys in the ignition, the suit states.
Cristian Jovany Ramos Sanchez, 38, of Los Angeles, entered the vehicle and drove off and Rangel, 57, was killed when Sanchez lost control of the truck he had stolen and crashed near the intersection of Main Street and 47th Place, the suit states.
Sanchez hit Rangel, who died at the scene. Two others were injured and survived.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count each of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and grand theft of an automobile and was sentenced to nine years, four months in prison.
Amazon uses independently contracted drivers and delivery carriers to deliver goods on behalf of the company in order to try and shift costs and liabilities away from Amazon, which still maintains control over the business partners’ day-to-day operations and drivers, the suit states.
Amazon designed and implemented the delivery program “for the primary purpose of improperly evading employment laws, labor and wage laws, transportation and logistics laws and regulations, motor vehicle negligence liability exposure and other legal responsibility,” the suit states.
