Lawsuit filed against Amazon for worker’s death by tornado

• The lawsuit was filed by the family of delivery truck driver who died in the Amazon warehouse

• Six Amazon workers died in Illinois due to tornadoes

Amazon (NYSE: AMZN) was hit by a lawsuit on Monday by the family of delivery truck driver who died in December when a warehouse was struck by tornadoes killing six people in Illinois.

The suit, filed on behalf of family of driver Austin McEwen, 26, is the first one against the company after six people died in the incident.

Attorney Jack J. Casciato said that Amazon knew the conditions were "highly unsafe as tornado warnings had been issued," but company officials "rolled the dice with peoples' lives to put profit over safety."

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"We are seeking damages in excess of multi-millions of dollars," Casciato said.

In December, tornadoes struck through six U.S. states, killing many people and causing destruction at homes and businesses.

The six Amazon workers who died in the warehouse were among the more than 70 people who died due to the tornadoes.

Amazon’s response

Kelly Nantel, an Amazon Spokesperson, said the Amazon managers guided the workers immediately after receiving the weather report.

"We believe our team did the right thing as soon as a warning was issued, and they worked to move people to safety as quickly as possible," Natel said, reported Reuters.

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"We will defend against this lawsuit, but our focus continues to be on supporting our employees and partners, the families who lost loved ones, the surrounding community, and all those affected by the tornadoes,” she said.

Amazon said the site received tornado warnings between 8:06 p.m. and 8:16 p.m. while the tornado struck the warehouse at 8:27 p.m.

Picture Credits: Reuters