Instead, the attorney said, they've received "nothing but the empty promises that this was going to happen. Do you have any questions or comments about Mays services? By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. Camden, New Jersey Phone: 856-541-0494 A service was held at the funeral home on Aug. 20, then a body "believed to be Ms. Sadie Williams" was buried in a grave next to Sadie Williams' husband, Rizzuto says. (833) 704-4878. When Street asked the funeral home to turn over Ivans ashes, she says the staff refused. Fisher says the Harris just dont want what happened to them to happen to any other family. On information and belief, the lawsuit states, the Funeral Home double charged the bereaved parties by [billing] for the cost of a casket, plot, and burial.. Once Williams' body was properly identified, according to the lawsuit, Slinger-Hasgill allegedly tried to convince the daughter to have her mother's body sent to Long Island's Pinelawn Cemetery without a service, Rizzuto said. Two women claimed to be a dead man's wife. The Mays Law Firm PC has several convenient locations available by appointment. "It is unconscionable, how such egregious actions can take place," Rizzuto said in a statement on behalf of the Williams family Thursday. What Is the Most Common Type of Lift Truck Accident. Ramon Lara Castillo passed away on Oct. 23, 2020 at a Nashville hospital. Its a really sad situation, Streets lawyer, Alex Coffin, told The Washington Post. The Dallas-based Golden Gate Funeral Home is known for throwing extravagant, over-the-top funerals. In March 2021, the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors received a complaint against the Anderson Funeral Home, alleging Quarles was aiding and abetting Van Ness, who continued to work as an unlicensed funeral director. The Post is not naming her since her identity was not independently verified. Potential Damages in a Funeral Home Negligence Case, Contact an Alabama Funeral Home Negligence Attorney, Alabama Wrongful Death Statute of Limitations, How to File a Lawsuit Against a Hospital in Birmingham. The family reasonably believe that the deceased's remains were not properly cared for by the Funeral Home inasmuch as it is reasonably believed that they had begun to decompose. Sign up for one year of grief messages designed to offer hope and healing during the difficult first year after a loss. If you hired them to handle your loved ones funeral, proving the home owed you a duty is generally straightforward. On Monday, the family of Ramon Lara Castillo a 63-year-old Nashville house painter who succumbed to liver cancer in October 2020 filed a federal lawsuit against former funeral director Reid Van Ness and the operators of a funeral home in Lewisburg, Tenn. Roommates and friends of Castillo paid Van Ness $1,800 to ship the body home to his . November 3, 2021. When they arrived at the funeral home the next day for the funeral, they found that the funeral home had already sealed their daughters body still wrapped in plastic in the coffin and refused to reopen it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The overpowering stench got the funeral service off to a bad start and the family says things got worse from there. Daughter Kummi Kim rationalized the difference in appearance to the embalming process and application of heavy mortuary makeup, fake hair and/or some type of filler such as Botox, said the lawsuit, filed Monday by attorney Michael Maggiano. When a funeral home, mortuary, funeral director or death care specialist breaches the trust that you've placed in them, you may have a claim for damages. Suite 1500Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309Phone: 954-522-5800. If the staff failed to reasonably and adequately conduct the services your family contracted them for, you have the right to pursue a claim for damages. Ivans body, she claims she later learned, was actually buried at Baltimores Mount Zion Cemetery three days earlier at the request of another woman claiming to be the mans wife. The family planned to have a viewing for their loved ones in September for friends and family. Miami SEO By Karmasnack, Funerals are emotional undertakings. Your email address has successfully been added to our mailing list. In 2013, Golden Gate had a reality TV show on TLC called Best Funeral Ever that aired eight episodes showcasing the services. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the damages, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Now a multi-million-dollar lawsuit targets two local funeral homes and a former independent funeral director for what's described as reckless conduct. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society. 3 Soldiers Killed After 2 U.S. Army Helicopters Crash In Alaska. The funeral homes employees then notified Street that another woman was claiming to be Ivans wife. According to Rizzuto, one of Williams' daughters reviewed her mother's body a day after she died and told Joseph Slinger-Hasgill, the funeral home director and a defendant in the lawsuit, that the body was not her mother. A complaint was filed with the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers and investigators made a startling discovery. The family planned to have a viewing for their loved ones in September for friends and family. We have added this website to our list of family centered services. They claim Van Ness and the funeral homes he operated in displayed a shockingly callous indifference to families of deceased loved ones because of their race and national origin., The lawsuit by Castillos sister and daughter seeks redress for egregious abuses of basic human dignity and respect for the dead and their grieving family members.. The Post was unable to determine the relationship between Ivan Street and the other woman, if any, and Coffin said he did not have that information, either. The last element of negligence is damages, which are the financial losses you incurred due to the funeral homes negligent behavior. A Dallas funeral home known for its reality TV show on elaborate services is facing at least 17 lawsuits that accuse the business of being negligent in handling . "Cynthia can't have a conversation with me without breaking out in tears," Wilder said. What is going on at Golden Gate Funeral Home is unacceptable and its time for Golden Gate Funeral Home, and its owner, John Beckwith Jr., to answer for these actions, Sellers said in a prepared statement. Unfortunately, as funeral negligence attorneys, we see these cases all too often. The lawsuit also said the ashes of Websters and Busbys loved one had been thrown out after they spent months repeatedly asking for them. Grieving family left waiting for loved one's remains. By Kyle Melnick. News 12 New Jersey. At the time of Castillos death, Van Ness was no longer a practicing funeral director or embalmer. Now, a tip from a CBS 6 viewer uncovered a $5 million lawsuit against Chiles Funeral home off Faimount Avenue. The state fined the funeral homes thousands of dollars and Van Ness surrendered his funeral director license. CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- A Gloucester County woman is suing a funeral home in Camden, claiming they let her brother's body decompose before the funeral was set to happen. The lawsuit accuses the funeral home of failing to keep Christophe's remains in good condition, therefore preventing the family from having a proper goodbye. The parents decided they needed to have a funeral the next day. Compensation in a funeral negligence case will vary based on the facts of your case. If it does happen to you, know that you are not alone. Street then entered into a $2,500 contract for Ivans cremation and a memorial service with the funeral home. The office provided an Open Upright MRI scanner an alternative for patients who are claustrophobic, cannot lie down due to pain or whose size prevents them from being evaluated in a . The siblings are suing the funeral home over how it handled their loved ones remains after he suddenly died in 2010. If your family has suffered because of a negligent funeral home in Alabama, contact the Birmingham funeral home negligence lawyers at Fob James Law Firm. Proving negligence starts with showing that the funeral home owed you some duty and that they breached that duty. Suite 200Tampa, FL 33360Phone: 813-639-7686Fax: 954-767-0960, 1111 Brickell Avenue11th FloorMiami, FL 33131Phone: 833-704-4878, 2101 Vista Parkway. Thank you for visiting the Mays Funeral Home website. There was an error verifying your email address. Call us whenever you are ready: 954-633-8270. The parents sued the funeral home for conduct [that] is so outrageous in character and so extreme that it goes beyond all bounds of decency in a civilized society. They also claimed tortuous interference with a dead body, reckless infliction of emotional distress, and negligence.. They can be made much worse if the funeral home behaves negligently. The lawsuit also names as defendants Blackley Funeral Home and Cremation Services and funeral director Haemin Gina Chong, who allegedly texted the other family to discuss their loved ones physical traits on the ride from Promise Church in Leonia to Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. A for-lease sign now hangs on the storefront at 191 Avenue A near 12th Street, marking the end of the downtown location of Stand-Up MRI of Manhattan. The team at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato recently handled a case involving grieving parents who were unable to say goodbye to their stillborn child due to the negligence of the funeral home they trusted. However, before you receive any money in a funeral home negligence case, we must prove liability against the defendants. In another lawsuit, Nekeya Webster and Brandon Busby said that the funeral home had played the wrong song during the funeral service and that they were given the wrong footage after the service. You will be sorely missed my love., Longer stories and investigations that go deep. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The lawsuit alleges that Gardner was aware of Van Nesss dealings and working relationship with the community. And as the state investigated the complaint even more bodies were found. This never happened. Putting NYPD detectives back on NYC streets as 'scarecrows Dad of crying infant that triggered Texas massacre 'never thought' gunman would shoot, It's not just soda: Nutritionists weigh in on the absolute worst drinks for your health, Megyn Kelly sports red MAGA-style hat in poolside pic, After legal weed, NYC's once-wild 4/20 party just another boring street fair, How a retired detective snared his seventh 'Torso Killer' confession, Gayle King says she doesnt have a desire to retire: I want more work, WNBA star Brittney Griner is heading to the Met Gala, Mariah Carey celebrates Moroccan and Monroes 12th birthday: My babies, NY Post Sports Reporter Zach Braziller breaks down the Knicks game 1 loss to the Heat, Kendall Jenner rocks sheer top, fur mini skirt for date night with Bad Bunny. Markie Martin. Jodie Jackson says in court documents that the funeral home gave her more than one persons ashes after her son had been cremated in 2019. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. A Brooklyn funeral home was hit with yet another lawsuit for storing decomposing bodies in U-Haul trucks amid the coronavirus crisis. It is our goal to offer the most caring and affordable services to all families we serve. Robi was born in Bangor on November 29, 1980, son of Audrey Nicholas and Vincent Socoby. CBS 6went to speak with a representative at Chiles Funeral Home. This week more than 60 people have filed a class action lawsuit against the funeral home, using the Englewood based law firm Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. Van Ness then led Ralios to view the remains, which at this point were in an advanced stage of decomposition. Shortly after, however, another woman allegedly told the funeral home she was Ivans wife. A motion has been filed by attorneys representing Renard Harris family. Mays Funeral Home - Calais Friday, April 14, 2023 Add Photos Add a Memory Stephen G. Greenlaw Stephen Greenlaw's passing on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 has been publicly announced by Mays. The lawsuit seeks a trial by . Records reviewed by The Post show that, legally, Demetra Street was Ivans wife at the time of his death. While the family was able to receive their loved ones ashes, the original act of creating the body early has left the family unsure as to whether the ashes truly belong to their loved one. In addition to mishandling the remains, workers at the funeral home also allegedly said the family needed to speed up the funeral service before swapping out the caskets. If the funeral home abused or neglected their duties, you could have a valid funeral home lawsuit case. By Dulce Torres Guzman and Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. We were able to prove the funeral home acted negligently and then lied to cover up their negligence. We are still hoping to locate the (remains) for the family, and hope to provide some measure of closure if possible.. In their $50-million lawsuit, the family of a deceased Victoria woman is blaming a funeral home for wrongfully cremating her, lying about it and making it impossible for her last wishes to be. They involve heart-wrenching and emotional issues, and achieving justice for a family wronged in this way can be immensely . Beside it was an urn. in journalism from the University of Southern California. . . Lawsuits continue to pile up against four funeral homes and an ex-funeral director accused of failing to send the . But despite Streets repeated requests that she receive Ivans ashes, Defendants refused to allow her or anyone else to obtain the ashes or to see the funerary urn once the Memorial Service had concluded, the lawsuit states. We were able to prove the funeral home acted negligently and then lied to cover up their negligence. Thank you for visiting the Mays Funeral Home website. She is now suing the business for $8.5 million, saying it breached its contract with her and made false representations to make a profit. But the funeral homes president, Brandon Wylie, told the Baltimore Sun that he denies Streets claims. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettle Challenge. 2101 W. Commercial Blvd. But the funeral home decided to follow the other womans instructions instead and bury Ivan, Street claims. WELCOME TO. The family alleged that the funeral home picked up the body from the hospital, and that by the time they paid and saw the body, it was in a neglected state. The many loving memories I have of the [time] we shared will forever comfort me in your absence. The funeral home did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Department remains active in seeking a resolution against this unlicensed actor.. By: Nick Beres Posted at 11:01 PM, Feb 17, 2021 When you meet with our office, we will review your case and let you know the potential value of your claim. Weve created this easy to use form that lets you start the process by gathering basic information. The funeral home is accused of not refrigerating the mans body in order to properly preserve it. On Oct. 08, 2021, lawyers filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of Julio Mejia Alonzo, who died on July 20, 2019 at age 32 for reasons unknown. An ongoing series of stories by the Tennessee Lookout found that Van Ness made promises to immigrant families to deliver bodies of loved ones home to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras for burial but failed to deliver them. The grieving parents found, to their horror, that the baby in the casket was not their baby girl. Read More The other woman may have believed she was the wife, Coffin said, but she failed to produce a marriage certificate with a seal on it.. While the grieving process is different for each of us, we all experience some common feelings as we work toward healing from our loss. Your family could be eligible to receive compensation for damages such as funeral expenses and emotional distress. CBS 6 News investigated and found out attorneys have filed a motion to schedule a two-day jury trial. The Mexican Consulate of Atlanta has no record of any remains being shipped to their facilities, and Quarles has not seen nor heard from Van Ness since, the letter said. Van Ness told NewsChannel 5 they all were involved. Van Ness surrendered his license to practice as a funeral director and embalmer in March 2020 seven months before he was hired to care for Castillos body. After contacting a lawyer, Alonzos body was finally found on May 13, 2021, nearly two years after his death. The woman could not be reached for comment. We must show they were negligent and their actions directly related to the harm your family suffered. The family went onto allege that the body wasn't embalmed within 72 hours of death. 2226 1st Ave S, Suite 105 Birmingham, AL 35233, Disclaimer: The recoveries, verdicts, favorable outcomes, and testimonials described on this site are not an indication of future results. Call (205) 407-6009 or send us a message for a free case review. Months went by and as Castillos sister grew increasingly frantic, Gonzalezs attempts to contact Van Ness went unanswered, a February investigation by the Lookout found. Read May Funeral Home obituaries, find service information, send sympathy gifts, or plan and price a funeral in Willingboro, NJ Obituaries Funeral Homes Newspapers Send Flowers News & Advice Memorials in emerging media and communication from the University of Texas at Dallas and an M.S. This article was published more than1 year ago. The Post has reached out to the funeral home for comment. "Between these two funeral homes, they found 15 bodies that had been left, some of them in various states of decay," said Morris. The app features breaking news alerts, live video, weather radar, traffic incidents, closings and delays and more. Can a Cosigner Be Sued for a Car Accident? 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, New Jersey couple arrested after allegedly trying to mow down officers, Obnoxious Little League parents are finally getting what they deserve, New Jersey county outside NYC slapped with F grade on air quality: report, Conservative watchdogs highlight alarming surge in whale deaths as wind farms grow off NY, NJ coasts. Because the remains had been cremated early, the family was not able to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones. When your loved one needs care in the comfort of their own home, you can trust the professionals at Mays Home Care to provide a complete range of necessary services. for email updates when new obituaries are posted. If the funeral home abused or neglected their duties, you could have a valid funeral home lawsuit case. The funeral home finally agreed to reopen the casket and allowed the parents to dress their baby and say their final goodbyes. A New Jersey family has filed a $50 million lawsuit against a funeral home after workers allegedly put the wrong woman in their mother's casket - then jerked the coffin out . It seeks $33,025,000 in compensatory damages on behalf of Williams' 11 children and another $55 million in punitive damages. "Her father, Jeff, likewise and it's a lot of different emotions.". So Ivans memorial commenced. Kyung Ja Kim, 93, was mixed up with another woman with the same last name, who they dressed in Kims clothes and memorialized at Central Funeral Home in Ridgefield where mourners didnt recognize the deceased, a new lawsuit claims. In an interview Tuesday, Wilder said his clients, Cynthia Faye Cooke and Jeffrey Lorey, have gone through a "horrible" experience in light of recent events. Unfortunately, negligence in funeral homes happens. Demetra went to the funeral home on Jan. 13, identified Ivans body and provided her marriage certificate to prove she was next of kin. Lawsuits continue to pile up against four funeral homes and an ex-funeral director accused of failing to send the remains of deceased immigrants back to their families overseas for burial. Call (215) 792-4321 to schedule a consultation at a time and place that fits your schedule. 1001 South Fourth Street. According to the lawsuit, Street first paid the funeral home $2,500 to cremate her husband and host the memorial service, showing employees at the business's Mount Street location her marriage . It remains missing until today, the lawsuit alleges. This was not a unique situation, according to the lawsuit. They didnt alert the family and tried to cover it up. "I don't think any human can look at a situation like this regardless of who it happens to and not feel in their heart how terrible to have a family member just left to rot in a room somewhere," said Morris. Initially, two lawsuits were filed against Van Ness and two funeral homesSaddler Funeral Home & Crematory in Lebanon and Nelson & Sons Funeral Home in Murfreesboro after a state investigation found at least 10 different bodies had been left to rot in coolers between the funeral homes for periods between two to 11 months. The family who lives in Connecticut is seeking more than $5 million. Castillos death certificate was instead signed by Gloria Anderson Quarles, who owned the Anderson Funeral Home in Lewisburg. The Kims were offered a refund of the $9,000 it paid the funeral home but Central allegedly tried to cash the check anyway, according to News 12. Sicklerville, New Jersey Phone: 856-335-1461. 1825 Colonial Blvd,Fort Myers, FL 33907Phone: 239-337-4357Fax: 239-337-4794, 2202 N. West Shore Blvd. Mishandling the remains, including improper storage or transport, dropping the body, and failure to identify; Cremation errors such as combining remains with another or not presenting the right remains to the family; Embalming errors that result in disfigurement or decomposition; Fraud, such as the funeral home overcharging for services and caskets or selling previously used caskets; Using substandard products such as a broken or defective casket; or. But first, the lawsuit alleged that the family was not allowed to see the body until a fee was paid. CBS 6obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which outlines some pretty graphic details. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. A staffer notified Street they would, in fact, reject the other womans instructions to bury Ivan and schedule a cremation and memorial service as Street requested. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. The parents contacted us that same month. W.H. Parker announced Saturday the bodies had been found during a search at the facility, 3106 Middle Road. While cases like these should never happen, they do. The parents then buried this baby, thinking it was their child. 2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested, 150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worst, Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to 'shut down the FBI' and replace it with something that sounds a lot like the FBI, Sanders: Biden could win in a landslide, Florida tornado watch includes 33 counties from Sarasota to Stuart and St. Johns, GOP Sen. Tim Scott to make major 2024 presidential campaign announcement on May 22.