Posted on 06/23/2005 10:47:49 AM PDT by robowombat
At least they weren't on the jury.
Sure it's about the money.
When my father in law died the funeral home messed up. He was buried in a town 60 miles from where he lived and died in a family plot. When we got to the site of the burial, there was no canaopy, no chairs, and no sign of any preparation for a burial except a hole in the ground. The herse was there with the driver. The mourners were there, but nothing else. I have never seen my husband so angry. He approached the funeral director who also was the herse diver who at this point had a look of sheer terror on his face. He immediately started apologizing to my husband. Some one at the funeral home had not done their job and called a local funeral home to provide all of the equipment needed for the burial.
So being farm folk, and in true Texan Plains fashion, we improvised. We got tow ropes out of the cars, put blankets and tarps over the dirt mound, his grandsons carried him to his final resting place. We had our services, and we lowered him into the ground. He would have loved it. He didn't take much stock in funerals rituals anyway.
I think the funeral home took $300 off the bill because we hadn't had to rent the burial equipment. 5 years later we buried my mother in law, and my Mom through the same funeral home. We didn't even think of suing.
After all, things happen, and that's life. No one was injured or permanently scared. In a way, it was a healing experience. We put him to rest ourselves like our ancestors did in the frontier days. He was surrounded by family until the very end.
That is an iteresting and inspiring story. I can just imagine the determination and love it must have taken to bury your father-in-law in that manner.
Not only did they get the funeral for free, they got a more expensive casket for free. Although this was an outrageous event, I think that both companies involved tried to make things right. $3000 per sibling was a fair offer, IMHO, since they had no funeral expenses. NOtice that the widow took it.
I seems like a bunch of greedy kids thought they could tap some deep pockets along the way.
You owe me a keyboard.
My ashes will be shot out in a large fireworks shell , so I guess if it's a dud, my fam will be disappointed, but not
sue.
Hmmmm. "Favor" must be a codeword for big-money payout.
You just don't go burying a 400 pounder in a $900 casket.
OK, that was mean. I'm sorry.
This reminds me of when my wife in I were at a funeral home when my father in law died and the director was pointing out caskets for us.
"This one", he said "comes with a lifetime guarantee!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "WHOSE lifetime?" I wanted to know. The director really didn't like me making fun of his "lifetime guaranteed" caskets, but now after reading this story, I will want a guarantee next time.
Guranteed to get them from the hearse to the grave without losing it's cargo!!!
Weired, weired story.
It's a bad thing to happen, and even more horrible to think having bad things happen to you makes you entitled to be enriched by it.
I absolutely would have rejected this suit, and think this family should be ashamed of themselves.
Tort law exists to fix monetary loss that is the fault of someone else. I would propose that "pain and suffering" and "emotional duress" and similar emotional damages be eliminated from the law as a cause of action. They are the leading cause of tort abuse in my opinion.
If this happened to me, I would hope everyone would just double over with laughter! It would be wonderful if I could put one last smile on everyone's face before they put me six feet under!
How curious. I read that you are a native Texan living in New Jersey. I'm a native New Jerseyian living in Texas for the last 30 years. I grew up on a farm in Northern Jersey Route 80 goes right over it. I tell my son I was born in the fast lane. I love Texas. I love her people. They're what makes this state so great. Now you all come back now, ya hear.
Texas is a great place- the land and the people. New Jersey (from what I've seen and who I have met in my 3 years here) is not to bad either.
My family and I will make a trip this next July 4th holiday. After that, we are Jersey bound until our newborn arrives. Our long term plans are up in the air right now, but include the possibility of moving back to Texas or moving farther north to colder climes (we love cold weather but could bear with the Texas heat and the Houston humidity).
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