Stephens City woman sues Amazon, logistics company for $10 million

A Stephens City woman is suing Amazon and a Maryland-based logistics company for $10 million. Jennifer Ann Aumuller, in a civil lawsuit filed May 8 in Frederick County Circuit Court, alleges that a driver working for a logistics company contracted by Amazon struck her car and caused injuries after making an illegal U-turn.

Defendants in the lawsuit include Amazon Logistics Inc., Amazon.com Services Inc., Hagerstown-based Sycamore Logistics, and Dion Lewis Evans of Hagerstown.

The civil lawsuit alleges that Evans, the driver of an Amazon-branded van, was distracted by the Amazon Flex and Mentor apps while driving and that he was "rushing to make deliveries on time due to pressure placed on him by Amazon.com and Amazon Logistics."

According to the civil complaint, Evans made an illegal U-turn in the middle of the intersection of Tasker Road and Cross Keys Circle in Stephens City on May 11, 2021.

The lawsuit states Evans hit the 2017 Nissan Rogue Aumuller was driving eastbound on Tasker Road on its passenger side, causing Aumuller to incur significant medical expenses and serious injuries.

Evans' immediate employer at the time of the wreck was Sycamore Logistics, which the lawsuit characterizes as "a last-mile delivery service which contracts exclusively with Amazon.com and Amazon Logistics to provide drivers who deliver Amazon packages in Frederick County, Virginia."

The lawsuit states that Amazon.com and Amazon Logistics "micro-managed" every aspect of Evan's package delivery through the Amazon Flex app.

"Amazon. com and Amazon Logistics directed Mr. Evans's package delivery services via the Amazon Flex App, including GPS route to take, when to take breaks and lunches, and when to return to the station," the suit states. "Just prior to the incident, the Amazon Flex App directed Mr. Evans via GPS to turn around because he had driven beyond his next delivery stop."

Amazon provided Sycamore Logistics a data "scorecard" about driver performance, the lawsuit states. If a driver falls behind Amazon's desired pace, the lawsuit states Amazon Logistics sends "messages that the driver is 'behind the rabbit' and needs to be 'rescued' to ensure that the packages on the route are delivered in compliance with Defendant's unrealistic and dangerous speed expectations."

The complaint explains that "falling behind the rabbit" and requiring "rescue" can result in decreased pay for the driver, "thereby rushing Amazon drivers and making them unsafe on roads."

"Amazon.com and Amazon Logistics pressured Sycamore Logistics and its drivers to meet strict guidelines relating to the speed and number of packages delivered," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit states that pressure "to deliver as many packages as possible, as quickly as possible" resulted in Evans "rushing to make his deliveries on time."

Winchester-based attorney Carroll "Beau" Correll is representing Aumuller. She is seeking $10 million in damages and is calling for a jury trial.

— Contact Cormac Dodd at [email protected]

10 million? Can we say Excessive?

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