Funeral Home Negligence and Abuse Lawyers Protect Your Family’s Loved Ones
After a loved one dies, we depend on funeral homes to take care of arranging the bodies, either bycremation or by burial, for their final resting place. We trust that they will treat the bodies of our friends and family members with care and respect, and they usually do.
But sometimes funeral homes are negligent – and many people, while grieving, are not in a position to stand up for themselves. That’s why our Portland funeral home abuse lawyers are here to help you.
Most funeral homes are aware of their unique position, and will not take advantage of grieving family members. Some, however, can be knowingly disrespectful, greedy, or simply fail to fulfill their contracts with clients. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the funeral home industry generated almost $12 billion in revenue in 2007, and average cost of an adult funeral in 2009 was $6,650. Funeral homes are a big business, but that does not mean they should be allowed to take advantage of grieving families. Called “funeral home abuse,” these inappropriate acts can also take place in cremation facilities and cemeteries.
We have heard horror stories about the treatment of bodies and remains, and the neglect funeral homes show to the deceased. The following are all REAL crimes of negligence that happened at funeral homes in the last several years:
- Body parts, especially organs, being removed and sold
- Giving ashes to the wrong family after cremation
- Storing bodies without proper refrigeration
- Placing multiple bodies in one coffin
- Fraud including misuse of pre-paid funeral funds
- Dozens of bodies stacked in a garage
- Cutting bodies to make them fit in coffins
- Gravesites mislabeled or left empty
While all of these acts seem horrendous and almost beyond belief, funeral home abuse attorneys have worked to prevent such wrongs. The Federal Trade Commission has established guidelines for grieving families to ensure that funeral homes are not able to take advantage when a family is vulnerable because funeral home neglect and exploitation is a serious problem.
If you suspect that you, or your family, have been victims of funeral home, crematory, or cemetery neglect, it is crucial to contact a Portland attorney to protect your legal rights and the rights of your deceased loved one. Remember, suing a funeral home can also prevent emotional distress for other families as well.
At Shulman DuBois LLC we understand the sensitive nature of these types of cases, and we are committed to helping people through these difficult times. Please call us at 503-222-4411 or contact our Portland funeral home abuse lawyers online today to start understanding your legal options when filing a claim against a funeral home, crematorium, or cemetery.
