Appeals court rules for Amazon in LaGrange student death

The Ninth District Court of Appeals has affirmed a Lorain County judge’s opinion that Amazon could not be held liable for a caffeine overdose death of Logan Stiner in 2014.

The decision, released Feb. 19 in Akron, brings the final leg of a civil suit brought by the estate of the 18-year-old Keystone High School wrestler to an end.

Stiner, of LaGrange, died May 27, 2014, after taking a portion of pure caffeine powder given to him by a friend.

A Lorain County coroner report found that his death came as a result of acute caffeine toxicity leading to heart issues and a seizure.

The Food and Drug Administration banned the bulk sale of pure caffeine in 2018.

Stiner’s father, Dennis Stiner the executor of his estate, filed the original suit March 6, 2015, seeking an excess of $25,000 in damages against Amazon. com, and Arizona companies Tenkoris LLC and its subsidiary Tenkoris Inc., The Bulk Source, Guardian Wholesale, Hard Rhino and Guardian BioSciences Inc.

The suit also named Logan Stiner’s friend who supplied the powder as a defendant, but Lorain County Common Pleas Court records show the suit was dropped against the fellow student.

Dennis Stiner and the majority of defendants settled their portions of the case, but Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge John R. Miraldi dismissed the claims against Amazon.

Stiner appealed that decision in 2017 leading to the decision released Feb. 19.

The appellate court’s decision in favor of Amazon seems to hinge on the fact Amazon was not the principle merchant selling the caffeine powder.

In this case, Amazon functioned as a third-party which only listed the product on its website and accepted Stiner’s friend’s payment for the powder which was supplied and offered by Hard Rhino, court records show.

The court did side with Stiner on one issue raised in the appeal saying Miraldi did not make a finding that the Communications Decency Act precludes Amazon from facing the claims levied by the suit.

Since Miraldi ultimately ruled in the company’s favor, the issue was moot.