Two sisters in the US have filed a $60 million lawsuit against a pair of funeral homes after the wrong man was allegedly buried in their father's grave, New York Post reported. As per the lawsuit, Stacy Holzman and Megan Zaner have accused Fletcher Funeral and Cremation Service in Fountain Inn, S.C., of mistaking another person's remains for their father and placing the wrong body in his burial clothes.
Notably, Clifford Zaner died of heart failure at his South Carolina home on February 25, at the age of 72. He told his family that he wanted to be buried in black jeans and his favorite Led Zeppelin T-shirt.
After he died, his body was supposed to be shipped to New York. However, the wrong man was sent and then buried in their father's favourite clothes. The sisters noticed something was wrong when they asked to see their father one last time.
“I knew something was wrong the day of the funeral. There were red flags when we viewed the body, huge red flags. The first thing I noticed when they opened the casket was no mustache… The first thing I saw was just a bare upper lip, and I couldn't stop focusing on that,'' Stacy Holzman the Daily Beast.
He also had stitches across his forehead, indicating that an autopsy had been performed, while Mr. Zaner hadn't undergone any such procedure.
The Star of David Memorial Chapel funeral home insisted that the body belonged to Ms. Holzman's father and assured them that they received the correct body from Fletcher Funeral Service, according to the lawsuit.
“We deeply regret any sorrow experienced by the family for the mistake made by the funeral home in South Carolina,” the funeral home said. It also stated that “families are under a great deal of stress when they identify their deceased."
However, after three weeks, the funeral home informed Mr. Zaner's family that there had indeed been a mix-up. A second funeral with the correct remains was then held in Jacksonville, on March 24, but without his favourite T-shirt.
The sisters, meanwhile claim to have not received a refund for the first funeral with the Star of David that involved the wrong remains.
The family is hoping a $60 million lawsuit will send a message.
"I want them to take responsibility for this horrible mistake. And I do want things put in place in the future, which I think should have been there, from happening to anybody else,'' Megan Zaner said.
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