The loss of a loved one is an emotional and painful experience, and the grieving process can be even more difficult if you feel that your loved one’s funeral was mishandled or improperly handled due to the negligence of a funeral home. The emotions that arise in these situations can be overwhelming, as you may experience a sense of betrayal, anger, and confusion in addition to the normal grieving process.

While most funeral homes offer professional and supportive services, there are unfortunately some that fall short of their obligations and fail to meet the expectations of grieving families. These funeral homes may prioritize profits over providing quality services, resulting in additional grief and stress for those who are already coping with loss.

If you and your family have been exploited or manipulated by a funeral home during your most difficult time, it’s important to seek justice for your legal rights. In this blog, we will explore the impact that the negligence of a funeral home can have on the grieving process, and provide information on the legal options available to you if you believe that a funeral home acted negligently. By understanding your legal rights and taking appropriate action, you can seek justice for your loved one and find a sense of closure during this difficult time.

What Constitutes Funeral Home Negligence

Negligence is when a funeral home mishandles the body of the deceased body, fails to offer the services for which you and your family paid for, makes mistakes as a result of negligence or takes advantage of a grieving family that is in a vulnerable position. Some of the common funeral home negligence and perhaps unethical actions include, but not limited:

• Stealing organs and reselling them
• Improper storage of the body
• Improper embalming a body
• Losing cremated remains
• Burying the wrong body or burying the body in the wrong plot
• Stealing personal property such as gold fillings, jewelry and heirlooms
• Dropping a body while transporting it
• Misappropriating fund
• Abuse of a corpse
• Coffins dug up and resold
• Overcharging for procedures
• Improper disposal of the body
• Mixing the ashes of multiple individuals
• Excessive decomposition of remain
• Using a defective or broken casket
• Placing multiple bodies in one coffin

Funeral Home Negligence Compensation claims

If you believe that you and your family have been mistreated or that funeral home made egregious errors, it is important to discuss your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Staten Island. Your funeral lawsuit may result in financial compensation for the damages, and most significantly, it may expose a negligent business and prevent similar injustice from happening to any other grieving families. It is difficult to put a monetary value on your emotional distress, but a skilled personal injury lawyer will make sure that fair compensation is offered and the at-fault parties are held accountable. It is important to act immediately, because any personal injury claim must be filled within a specific period of time. Failure to file your funeral home claim prior to the statute of limitation will eliminate your right to compensation.

Proving Negligence in Funeral Home Cases

It is important to note, however, that every action of rudeness, inattention or carelessness may rise to the level of personal injury lawsuit. Winning a personal injury claim for funeral negligence or abuse will require you to prove that the funeral home owed you and your family the duty of care, the funeral home breached the duty, the breach of duty resulted to the proximate cause of your injuries or loss.

Hire an experienced personal injury attorney in Staten Island if you have any question about funeral home negligence to determine whether the actions of the funeral home could amount to negligence or abuse.