This happened in 2019 but has made headlines again in our local paper.
Lawrence man's casket dropped, broke open, lawsuit says
LAWRENCE — A local family is suing the Perez Funeral Home, Bellevue Cemetery and the city of Lawrence after their loved one’s casket was dropped into a grave, broke open and the corpse fell out, according to court papers.
Family members of the late Andrew Serrano, a resident of Puerto Rico and Lawrence who died on March 29, 2019, filed the suit Wednesday in Essex Superior Court alleging numerous counts of negligence and negligent and reckless infliction of emotional distress.
Serrano’s family contracted with the Perez Funeral Home following his death. On April 5, 2019, during Serrano’s burial at Bellevue Cemetery “one of the side straps on the city-owned casket lowering device broke, causing Mr. Serrano’s casket to fall into the grave and break apart,” according to the lawsuit.
“When the casket broke apart, Mr. Serrano’s corpse fell out of the casket into the grave and began oozing fluid” in full view of the “horrified family members who became visibly distraught and hysterical,” the suit reads.
Several family members “leapt into the grave” to care for the body, which was ultimately removed and brought back to the funeral home. A few days later Serrano was finally laid to rest, according to the suit.
The suit names the city of Lawrence, E & J Memorial Services, Inc. doing business as Perez Funeral Home, Bellevue Cemetery Board of Trustees and Bellevue Cemetery Board of Directors.
Nine counts are listed in the lawsuit which specify negligence and negligent and reckless infliction of emotional distress. Among the claims are the city of Lawrence, funeral home and cemetery “owed a duty....to handle Mr. Serrano’s human remains in a correct and dignified manner.”
The lawsuit was filed by Methuen attorney Danilo Gomez. The family is seeking at least $50,001 in damages, according to court papers.
A representative from the Perez Funeral Home could not immediately be reached for comment.
Link to story:
https://www.eagletribune.com/news/l...cle_41f9f244-3d9e-11ec-a000-8b2084c2c79a.html