Oklahoma Wrongful Burial / Desecration Attorney
The death of a loved one is a difficult enough tragedy to accept and overcome. When a cemetery mishandles the burial or gravesite of the deceased person, the family can feel completely overwhelmed. Wrongful burial and desecration are appalling wrongdoings that no family should have to suffer. Sadly, cemeteries do not have to abide by many rules or regulations. This can lead to public and private facilities putting profits over the dignity of the deceased. If you’re in the midst of a wrongful burial situation in Oklahoma, seek guidance from the attorneys at Bryan & Terrill Law.
Examples of Wrongful Burial and Desecration
A burial mistake or gravesite desecration may be “wrongful” and pursuable by law if the parties at fault for the incident were negligent, careless, reckless, or breaking the law. Cemeteries owe it to families and their deceased loved ones to handle corpses and burials with the utmost respect and integrity. Depending on the type of cemetery, certain actions may be unlawful or examples of negligence. The following are examples of potential wrongful burial or gravesite desecration:
- Double booking burial plots
- Burying someone in the wrong plot
- Misidentifying the body being buried
- Moving corpses without permission
- Stacking bodies in a single blot
- Exhuming bodies and disposing of them elsewhere
- Improper burial of remains
- Separating family members in plots
- Negligently cracking open vaults
- Damaging burial markers
- Charging for services never delivered
Wrongful burials and desecrations can be highly traumatic for family members. They can result in bodies requiring exhumation and reburials, as when families have to move their deceased to new plots due to overbooking. Burials involving misidentified corpses can cause significant emotional distress, as can learning that a cemetery has done something appalling with a loved one’s remains. Gravesite desecration can involve considerable costs in repairs, and cause heartache to family members who want peace for their loved one’s resting places. In any of these situations, families may be eligible for damage compensation.
Are You Eligible for Compensation?
After a loved one’s death and something as traumatic as wrongful burial or desecration, the last thing on your mind may be taking legal action. However, Oklahoma law might deem you and your family eligible for payment for burial expenses, economic costs, and losses such as emotional distress and mental anguish. Wrongful burial and desecration are serious wrongdoings that deserve attention. Bringing the cemetery or other party to court could be exactly what your family needs for closure and financial assistance during this difficult time.
At Bryan & Terrill Law, we understand the rights and obligations attached to human remains under Oklahoma law. This is a matter of serious importance to our firm. We believe that families should not tolerate something as heinous as cemeteries taking advantage of people who have to bury loved ones. When you come to our team with this experience, we can help you get to the bottom of why it happened and who may be liable for your damages. Our team can take care of the filing process on your behalf, and walk you through the case from beginning to end. To speak to a caring attorney about wrongful burial or desecration, submit our contact form or call (918) 935-2777.