Amazon was sued after one of its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) vans smashed into a Tesla outside Atlanta, Georgia, leaving the back seat passenger with serious brain and spinal-cord injuries.

Ans Rana accused Amazon of making its delivery drivers and partners work to unrealistic deadlines driven by the suite of algorithms, apps and devices the company uses to manage its logistics business. 

The lawsuit (pdf) argued that Amazon closely monitored delivery drivers’ every move including 'backup monitoring, speed, braking, acceleration, cornering, seatbelt usage, phone calls, texting, in-van cameras that use artificial intelligence to detect for yawning and more.'

Amazon denied culpability, pushing the blame on to its delivery partner Harper Logistics and requested that any technological information be sealed by the courts and kept private, claiming that it qualified as protected trade secrets.

According to Bloomberg, Amazon is facing 119 lawsuits involving injuries sustained with Amazon or DSP vehicles in 2021; media reports documented unsafe practices such as forcing Amazon delivery drivers to take dangerous routes.