Ed. — From the Sunday, Feb. 27, print edition.
THE INDEPENDENT NEWS
NORFOLK — A Moyock, N.C., man has sued an Amazon driver and the online sales giant after a collision between a delivery vehicle and his motorcycle in the Blackwater area of Virginia Beach last year, court records show.
The plaintiff, Justin Hartley, is a Moyock resident who suffered injuries, including losing a leg below the knee, due to the afternoon crash on Monday, Oct. 4, at Blackwater Road and Blackwater Loop. Hartley was riding his Harley Davidson when a Ford Transit van operated by Christopher Gill struck the motorcycle. According to the suit, Gill told police he was looking at an Amazon GPS device, though the defendents have denied this.
“In this circumstance, this man was driving for Amazon, delivering for Amazon, and he was looking at his GPS that was provided by Amazon when he turned and hit our client,” said Kevin Biniazan, a Virginia Beach attorney who is representing Hartley, in an interview.
In his response filed on Tuesday, Feb. 8, Gill denies the allegations made by Hartley, while acknowledging he received a traffic citation that day. Gill on Tuesday, Feb. 15, was found guity of failing to yield, a traffic infraction, according to an online court record. Gill denies he was negligent, and Amazon, too, denies liability.
The plaintiff seeks $100 million in damages from Gill and Amazon.com Services, Inc., and Amazon Logistics, Inc. The suit was first reported by The Virginian-Pilot.
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