Lawsuit Against La Paz Funeral Home for Sending Wrong Body to El Salvador
The family of Francisco Quintanilla is suing La Paz Funeral Home after receiving the wrong body for his planned funeral in El Salvador. Allegations include improper embalming and negligence by unlicensed staff. The family discovered the error during the service and found the actual body in a decomposed state, leading to emotional distress claims.
The family of Francisco Quintanilla has initiated a lawsuit against La Paz Funeral Home in Sacramento, California. The lawsuit stems from allegations that the funeral home sent the wrong body for Quintanilla’s intended open-casket funeral in El Salvador despite being responsible for the proper embalming and transportation of his remains.
Upon receipt in El Salvador, the family shockingly discovered that the body delivered was not that of Francisco Quintanilla. Additionally, the lawsuit claims the funeral home failed to properly embalm his body and utilized unlicensed personnel, causing considerable emotional trauma for the family.
Crucially, the family was allegedly not informed about the mix-up until they opened the casket during the service. At that point, they were told that “La Paz did not know the whereabouts of Quintanilla’s remains” and the family was left without updates for several days, only later hearing back when the body was located and sent.
When Quintanilla’s actual remains finally arrived, the family found them in a “shocking state of decomposition” that rendered an appropriate funeral impossible. Descriptions noted that his skin had turned purple and shriveled, with fluids leaking onto his clothing and a terrible smell emanating from the casket.
The family’s attorney commented on the emotional distress caused by the incident, emphasizing the inability to properly mourn their loved one. Consequently, the lawsuit is pursuing damages based on claims of negligence, breach of contract, and emotional distress.
Quintanilla’s wife, Maria Mercedes Medjia de Quintanilla, expressed her anguish in a statement, saying, “Our family planned to have an open casket service and to honor Francisco… What happened instead was shocking and heartbreaking.”
The lawsuit is currently being processed in Sacramento Superior Court, with active legal proceedings underway.
The Quintanilla family’s lawsuit against La Paz Funeral Home highlights significant failures in the handling of Francisco Quintanilla’s remains, including sending the wrong body and not properly embalming it. These actions led to emotional distress and a lack of closure for the family. The ongoing court proceedings will address claims of negligence and the right to a dignified farewell for loved ones.
Original Source: www.latintimes.com
