Rodger

Worker death & attempted workers’ comp denial, New Jersey

My brother in law, Rodger, was a beloved member of our family. Two years ago, he lost his life as a result of his injuries from falling off a ladder at Amazon. Instead of supporting our family, Amazon lied about the cause of his death.

Rodger’s site refused to open a door for the EMTs and police after he fell. They didn’t contact Rodger’s wife until ten days after the tragedy. Instead, I tried desperately to contact the facility. When I finally reached them, multiple Amazon reps told me that Rodger had a history of seizures and that’s why he had died. We were in shock that Amazon would lie this way: Rodger had never had a seizure. The doctors at the hospital also confirmed his death had nothing to do with a seizure—he had severe brain trauma and his body temperature was very high from working in the hot warehouse.

Soon we realized why they were doing this. Amazon didn't want to pay our family workers' comp—not even Rodger's medical bills. It took us taking legal action to get them to honor our workers' comp claim. I also understand that the warehouse made it difficult for OSHA to investigate, including withholding access to the hot area where Rodger was when he died.

There’s no reason for Amazon to treat its own employees with such cruelty when it is the richest company in the world. To Amazon, Rodger was just another number. For my sister, he was the love of her life who she misses every day.