Hurt by a Product Bought Online? Jurisdiction and Amazon‑Related Issues in Nevada Cases

You didn’t go to a shady back‑alley shop. You clicked “Buy Now.” You waited two days. A box showed up on your porch in Nevada with that familiar smile printed on the side. Maybe it was a space heater, a phone charger, a kids’ toy, a supplement, or a piece of exercise equipment. Then it failed. Or caught fire. Or broke in a way it should never break. Suddenly you’re in the ER and everyone around you has the same question: “Can you sue Amazon for this?” At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, that’s where the real conversation starts because online marketplaces and Nevada product liability law do not line up as neatly as your order history page.

Nevada Product Liability: Who’s Supposed to Be Responsible?

Nevada has long recognized strict product liability. The Nevada Supreme Court made it clear time and time again that manufacturers, distributors, and sellers who put defective products into the stream of commerce can be held liable.

And injured consumers don’t have to prove negligence. They have to show:

1. The product was defective (design, manufacturing, or warnings),
2. The defect existed when it left the defendant’s control, and
3. The defect caused their injury.

That framework works fine when:

You buy a product from a local Nevada store and there’s a clear chain: manufacturer – distributor – retailer. But that’s not what the internet looks like.

Online Marketplaces: Retailer, Middleman, or “Just a Platform”?

When you buy on Amazon (or similar platforms), there are usually two scenarios:

1. Sold by Amazon: Amazon buys inventory and sells it to you directly; and
2. Sold by third‑party seller, fulfilled by Amazon: A separate business owns the product; Amazon provides website, payment processing, and sometimes storage and shipping.

Amazon has spent years arguing in courts across the country that in most cases it is not a“seller,” a “distributor,” or part of the chain of distribution in the way product liability law traditionally contemplates.

Why? Because if courts treat Amazon like a retailer, Amazon can be on the hook as a strictly liable defendant when defective products hurt people.

Some states have begun pushing back on Amazon’s “just a platform” story. Others have sided with Amazon. Nevada courts are still sorting through these issues as cases arise.

When you walk into Mainor Ellis with a burned hand from a cheap imported device sold through Amazon, our Las Vegas burn injury lawyers can help you figure out who the real seller was, where they were located, and what role Amazon (if any) played in all this.

Amazon‑Related Issues: When Is Amazon More Than “Just a Website”?

Even when Amazon insists it’s a platform, not a seller, reality often looks different:

• Amazon stores the product in its fulfillment centers
• Amazon handles packaging and shipping
• Amazon controls much of the product page content
• Amazon processes the payment and controls the customer relationship

Courts around the country have asked: “When you control that much of the transaction, are you really just a “bulletin board” for other people’s products?”

Nevada law hasn’t fully answered that question yet, but Nevada courts do recognize that broad product liability principles are meant to protect consumers and that modern commerce shouldn’t let everyone in the chain dodge responsibility by clever labeling.

Hurt by a Defective Amazon Product? We Can Help

Being hurt by a defective product is bad enough. Being told “the seller is in another country” or “Amazon isn’t responsible” on top of that is infuriating. At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, we know how you feel. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your legal options and strategy. Call today at 702-450-5000 to get started.