COVID-19 Funeral Home Neglect in Kentucky

Funeral homes have a responsibility to not take on more remains than they can properly handle. If they do, and they abuse or neglect a corpse as a result, they should be held accountable.

Broadly speaking, funeral home neglect involves some combination of incompetence, greed, and/or sexual perversion. For example:

• Dropping, mishandling, or losing the body
• Leaving the body unattended for an extended period
• Piling bodies on top of one another
• Storing bodies in an unrefrigerated vehicle
• Burying a body in the wrong plot
• Burying the wrong body
• Stealing property such as jewelry
• Abusing a corpse

If your loved one passed away during the coronavirus pandemic (whether due to COVID-19 or another cause) and their remains were mistreated by the funeral home, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Four criteria must be met to establish negligence, or legal responsibility:

• Duty: The funeral home must have owed a duty to treat your loved one’s remains in a careful and respectful manner.
• Breach: They must have breached their legal obligation.
• Cause: Their actions must have directly caused you harm.
• Damages: You must have suffered losses as a result (emotional, financial, or otherwise).

If these criteria are met, you could be owed compensation for emotional distress, funeral expenses, loss of life’s enjoyment, punitive damages (if the funeral home’s actions were particularly reckless), and other related damages.

If you entrusted a funeral home with your loved one’s remains and they failed to treat them honestly, respectfully, and competently, contact us.

We understand that you’re going through a lot. Our attorneys may be able to help you collect the compensation you need to make it through this trying time. 

Contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.