A family in New York City is suing a funeral home after their mother’s casket was mistakenly sent to the wrong country for burial. Carmen Maldonado, who had recently passed away at the age of 96, was supposed to be buried in Ecuador next to her husband. However, the Rivera Funeral Home in Corona, New York allegedly sent her body to Guatemala instead. The family only found out about the mistake after seeing a TikTok video showing a family in Guatemala’s shock at finding an unknown woman’s body in the casket at their son’s funeral – that woman turned out to be Carmen Maldonado.
The family’s attorney, Phil Rizzuto, stated that the family was devastated and in shock upon learning about the error. Despite being told by the funeral home that their mother’s body was still in the building in Queens, they were given excuses as to why there was a delay in transporting her to Ecuador. It was only after seeing the TikTok video that they confronted the funeral home and forced them to admit to the mistake. Maldonado’s son had to fly to Guatemala to bring her body back to Ecuador where she had originally wanted to be laid to rest, finally ensuring her final wishes were fulfilled.
The family feels that the funeral home attempted to downplay the severity of the mistake, telling them that it was no big deal and not doing much to help correct the situation. Rizzuto believes that the funeral home’s attempt to cover up the error is a whole other level of misconduct. He also mentioned that if the family hadn’t discovered the mistake on their own, the funeral home likely would never have admitted to it. Because of this, Carmen Maldonado’s family is suing both the funeral home and the company that owns it, seeking justice for the mishandling of their mother’s body.
The attorney representing the family emphasized that while a mistake can happen, trying to cover it up is a serious issue. The funeral home’s denial and lack of effort to correct the situation have exacerbated the family’s grief and frustration. Throughout the ordeal, the funeral home allegedly continued to provide false information to the family, further complicating matters and delaying the process of bringing Maldonado back to her desired resting place. Despite the funeral home’s initial denial and attempt to minimize the situation, the family persisted in seeking justice and holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
The Rivera Funeral Home in Corona, New York, where the mistake occurred, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the matter. The family’s lawsuit against the funeral home and its ownership company is an attempt to seek compensation for the emotional distress and mishandling of their mother’s body. The attorney representing the family hopes that this legal action will bring attention to the seriousness of the situation and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The mishandling of Carmen Maldonado’s body has caused significant pain and distress to her family, and they are seeking closure and justice for the wrongful actions of the funeral home.
