Archive for the ‘Funeral Home Abuse’ Category
Portland Funeral Home Abuse and Neglect Lawsuits
on Monday, October 31, 2011The loss of a loved one is possibly the most traumatic experience many of us will face in our lifetime. In cases where funeral arrangements haven’t been planned in advance, difficult and expensive decisions must be made quickly. Unfortunately, though most Oregon funeral homes are reputable, Portland funeral home abuse attorneys know that vulnerable people have been abused by some unscrupulous operators.
What constitutes funeral home abuse or cemetery neglect?
Complaints fall into a number of categories. Some can be dealt with by going directly to the funeral home operator, without taking legal action. If that doesn’t work, then the following are certainly grounds for filing a complaint:
- Unreasonable or unexpected cost is a major grounds for complaint. For example, you’ve selected a casket that’s quoted on the price list at $600, but the funeral director says nothing below $2,000 is available.
- Unethical or unprofessional conduct occurs when a family is told, for example, that they must have the body embalmed, even for a private family funeral. Another example would be the funeral director criticising your choice of casket as being unsuitable.
- If the funeral home fails to send the obituary to the appropriate media outlets and no one attends the funeral, they have been guilty of negligence.
- Breach of contract is not uncommon. The marker you ordered for the grave may not have been delivered even months after the funeral, or the funeral home added expenses that weren’t agreed to your bill, and is threatening legal action if you don’t pay.
- Mistreatment of the remains
- Misuse of pre-paid funeral funds
Portland funeral home abuse attorneys are frequently called upon when a complainant didn’t word their initial complaint properly. For someone to file a lawsuit against a funeral home, it will be necessary to identify which Oregon statutes or regulations have been violated. Simply saying the funeral was too expensive, or that the funeral home did a terrible job, while true, will not be sufficient in court.
