Lawsuit accuses California cemetery of moving remains!

2009-09-16 02:47:56 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - General Litigation, Justice News Flash)

Legal news for California general litigation attorneys. A Mission Hills cemetery is being sued for opening vaults and loosing bodies.

California lawyers alert- A class action lawsuit accuses Eden Memorial Park of disturbing burial plots.

Santa Maria, CA—A class action lawsuit accuses a Jewish cemetery, Eden Memorial Park, and its parent company, Service Corporation International, of breaking open concrete interment vaults and discarded human remains so they could use the space for other decedents. The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.

The lawsuit alleges the cemetery tried to squeeze burial plots together so the cemetery could make a larger profit. The California cemetery also is accused of breaking in occupied vaults, and moving or discarding the remains of the deceased people, to make room for additional burial space. The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) http://www.dca.ca.gov/, the department that oversees cemeteries, stated Eden Memorial and the funeral bureau has not taken any steps against the cemetery’s license. The bureau is expected to conduct an investigation into the lawsuit’s allegations. The DCA stated seismic activity in the area or accidents could shift the human remains buried in the ground. Cemeteries are not required by federal regulations to report such incidents to the state of California.

The class action lawsuit, which has around 100 individual plaintiffs, claims the disruption of the human remains buried at the cemetery probably happened “well over 500 times.” The lawsuit allegations reportedly stem from a former groundskeeper at Eden Memorial, and other documents, which supports the claims.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for California general litigation lawyers.