Amazon Liability in Death Lawsuit Gets Louisiana High Court Look

Louisiana’s top court will consider whether Amazon.com Inc. can face liability for a man’s death in a fire caused by a defective battery charger sold on its platform.

The Louisiana Supreme Court granted the request of the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to interpret state law addressing “seller” liability and liability for negligently carrying out an assumed duty of care. Archie Pickard bought a lithium-ion battery charger from the third-party seller Jisell in 2019.

• The high court will consider whether an online marketplace operator is a “seller” of third-party products when it didn’t hold title to ...