Lawsuit Filed Against La Paz Funeral Home for Body Mix-Up in El Salvador

The family of Francisco Quintanilla is suing La Paz Funeral Home after the wrong body was sent to El Salvador for his funeral. The lawsuit alleges negligence, improper embalming, and emotional distress due to the mix-up. The case has been filed in Sacramento Superior Court with ongoing proceedings.

The family of Francisco Quintanilla has initiated legal action against La Paz Funeral Home located in Sacramento, California, following the erroneous dispatch of a wrong body intended for a scheduled open-casket funeral in El Salvador. The lawsuit asserts that La Paz Funeral Services was liable for the proper embalming and transportation of Quintanilla’s remains to El Salvador for burial.

Upon the body’s arrival in El Salvador, the family discovered it was not that of Francisco Quintanilla. The lawsuit claims that the funeral home neglected to adequately embalm Quintanilla’s body and allowed unlicensed personnel to handle the arrangements, leading to significant emotional distress for the family.

The family stated they were not informed of the body mix-up and learned of the error only when they opened the casket during the funeral service. Allegations indicate they were told that “La Paz did not know the whereabouts of Quintanilla’s remains” and remained uninformed about his body’s location for several days, until the funeral home eventually located and sent the correct body to El Salvador.

Upon receipt of Quintanilla’s body, the family faced a horrifying reality; it was reported to be in a “shocking state of decomposition,” due to inadequate embalming practices, rendering a dignified funeral impossible. Details include that “his skin had turned purple and was shriveled, his body was leaking fluids that soaked his clothing, and a horrible smell was emitting from the casket.”

The Quintanilla family’s attorney emphasized the immense emotional harm this incident has caused, as they were deprived of the ability to properly mourn and bury their loved one. Their lawsuit seeks reparations for the alleged negligence and emotional distress.

The family is pursuing damages, citing grounds of negligence, breach of contract, and emotional distress. “Our family planned to have an open casket service and to honor Francisco and say goodbye in El Salvadoran tradition. What happened instead was shocking and heartbreaking. Our final memory of Francisco is one we wish we could forget,” expressed Maria Mercedes Medjia de Quintanilla, Quintanilla’s wife, in a statement to CBS13.

This matter has been filed in the Sacramento Superior Court, with proceedings in progress.

The Quintanilla family has filed a lawsuit against La Paz Funeral Home for mistakenly sending the wrong body to El Salvador, leading to significant emotional trauma. Allegations against the funeral home include negligence, failure to embalm properly, and using unlicensed staff. This tragic incident has disrupted the family’s plans for a respectful farewell to their loved one, prompting them to seek damages in court.

Original Source: www.latintimes.com