California Funeral Home Abuse Attorneys

Funeral home abuse is an appalling act that is too common today in the United States. Because the victims are deceased there is often no way for the victims to protect or defend their body and dignity from physical abuse and desecration. Families of funeral home abuse victims can rely on the expert legal representation of BISNAR | CHASE.

When a loved one dies, family and friends will gather to celebrate their life and honor their memory. Often the celebrations involve one or a combination of a wake, funeral, and burial or cremation ceremony. In this extremely emotional time, family members are vulnerable and look to funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoriums for guidance. In the past the worst offense from cemeteries, funeral home or cremation facilities was being oversold or overcharged for the procedures. Unfortunately, the last few years have seen a far more disturbing trend of negligence; one that appears to be on the rise.

These incidents regularly involve greed, corruption, and deception. The following atrocities have been reported by news agencies in the past few years:

• Coffins retrieved after burial and switched out for cheaper ones
• Multiple bodies placed in one coffin
• Bodies robbed of jewelry
• Body parts removed and sold
• Grave sites left untended, to be vandalized
• Overlooked graveyards covered by garbage dumps

New allegations of misconduct surface every week and the crimes are often more heinous than the last. To educate families of the deceased the Federal Trade Commission has established guidelines regarding dealing with funeral homes to avoid an unfair advantage on the part of the facility. Some of the rules include requiring that the funeral home disclose all prices of goods and services, advice to the client that embalming is not required in many cases and that no form of preparation of the body or coffin will preserve the deceased.

As cemeteries, crematories, and funeral homes merge or are acquired by other companies, questionable practices for the purpose of cost effectiveness have begun to attract attention. Funeral home exploitation includes fraud and deception, pre-need contracts, inappropriate methods of cremation or embalming, and other mishandlings of the deceased.

If you believe you were the victim of cemetery, funeral home or cremation negligence or exploitation, it is essential to contact an attorney at BISNAR | CHASE who can help you protect your legal rights and the rights of your loved ones. We empathize with the challenging and sensitive nature of these cases, and are committed to assisting surviving family members to the fullest extent of the law. Please call us at (800) 561-4887 or click here to fill out our convenient on-line case evaluation form immediately. We will provide you with a no obligation, COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL, consultation.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.