Funeral home negligence can impact you in many ways by leaving you with long-lasting emotional scars and financial harm. During such a vulnerable and difficult time, a funeral home should treat you with kindness and compassion. Taking advantage of your susceptible emotional state is funeral home negligence.
Finding out the funeral home overcharged you, treated you unfairly, or mishandled your loved one’s remains can leave you reeling and unsure of what to do. A funeral home negligence lawyer can clarify your options and right to financial recovery. They can also handle every aspect of your case from start to finish so you can focus on caring for your family at a trying time.
Funeral Home Negligence Can Create a Financial Strain for Your Family
Unfortunately, funeral home negligence can take many forms—one being financial neglect or abuse. Examples include:
- Overcharging for services
- Compelling you to purchase unwanted services
- Forcing the sale of a coffin for direct cremation
- Not providing services included in a package
- Putting multiple bodies in one coffin or burial plot
- Disregarding a pre-need funeral contract
Funeral services are already costly. Adding to your family’s financial burden with undue strain is a form of funeral home negligence. It can create financial hardship that adds to an already stressful and taxing situation. You can take legal action to seek compensation for these acts.
Funeral Home Negligence Can Cause Emotional Turmoil for Grieving Families
Saying goodbye to a loved one is always painful. On the day of their funeral service and burial, you expect everything to run smoothly. When it does not, it can impact your family mentally and emotionally.
Examples of funeral home negligence that can leave lasting psychological trauma include:
- Cremating or burying the wrong body
- Improper presentation of the remains
- Illegal harvesting of organs
- Theft of items on the person
- Theft of items inside the coffin
- Dropping the body or coffin
If any negligent act resulted in a traumatic experience for your family, you can fight to hold the funeral home financially liable. A local personal injury attorney can help you navigate this legal process.
You Can Pursue Financial Compensation for Funeral Home Negligence
Nothing can fully atone for the mishandling of a loved one’s remains or the mistreatment of your family at such a challenging time. However, your funeral home negligence lawyer can fight to hold the funeral home accountable for its actions and request fair compensation for your family.
Per Florida Statutes § 766.202, recoverable damages for funeral home negligence can include:
- Economic damages, including goods (coffin, lining, etc.) and services (deathcare, embalming, etc.).
- Non-economic damages, including mental and emotional trauma for the toll the negligence took on your family
- Future financial losses, including the cost of relocating your loved one’s remains or holding another funeral
In rare cases, you could also be entitled to punitive damages. These are intended to penalize the at-fault party for egregious acts of wrongdoing. Your legal team will assess your case to see if it qualifies for this form of compensation.
Funeral Home Negligence Lawsuits Have a Statute of Limitations in Florida
Per Florida Statutes § 95.11, you generally have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit for negligence. The same statute gives you four years to file a breach of contract lawsuit. A lawyer can help you understand which filing deadline applies to your case. They can also clarify the consequences of an expired statute of limitations.
A Funeral Lawyer Can Help You Build a Case for Negligence
Recovering from the loss of a loved one and the subsequent anguish of funeral home negligence can take time. Since the state limits the time you have to file a civil lawsuit, hiring a lawyer can allow you to get started immediately. 
When they accept your case, your personal injury lawyer will:
- Listen to your version of events
- Treat your family with grace and sympathy
- Deal with the funeral home and its legal and insurance representatives
- Handle all verbal and written communication
- Negotiate for the best possible financial settlement
Another benefit of having a lawyer rather than building your case on your own is that they can gather evidence that could be emotionally triggering for you. They will also provide guidance on which family members have the right to sue for funeral home negligence.
Get a Free Funeral Home Negligence Consultation
If losing a loved one became even more difficult because your family experienced funeral home negligence, our personal injury law firm will take on your fight for financial compensation. We will define what funeral home negligence is and how it can impact you.
Your family does not have to fight this difficult battle alone. Learn more about your rights as a consumer by contacting our consultation team at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato. Call (954) 633-8270 to get your free case review today.
