Funeral home settles lawsuit over uncremated bodies

<p>An $8.7 million settlement was approved Thursday in a federal lawsuit against a Tennessee funeral home over uncremated bodies at the Tri-State Crematory in northwest Georgia.</p><p>The suit involving 252 plaintiffs and Buckner-Rush Funeral Home of Cleveland, Tenn., was part of the class-action lawsuit against Tri-State Crematory and funeral homes that did business with it.</p><p>Elizabeth Cabraser, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said some of her clients could receive payments before the end of the year.</p><p>Defense lawyer Lisa Higgins said that while Buckner-Rush and its corporate parent, Prime Succession Inc., settled the case, they denied any liability for acts committed by Tri-State Crematory.</p><p>Investigators discovered 334 uncremated bodies at the Noble, Ga., crematory in February 2002. Crematory operator Brent Marsh faces 787 felony criminal charges related to the discarding of bodies.</p><p>The class-action lawsuit was filed last year against Tri-State Crematory and 46 funeral homes that did business with it. A trial is scheduled for March 1.</p><p>Cabraser told Judge Harold L. Murphy that settlement negotiations are under way with several other funeral homes.</p><p>A $300,000 preliminary settlement with 67 plaintiffs was approved by Murphy with Love Funeral Home in Dalton, Ga. A final settlement with Putnam Reed Funeral Home of Pikeville, Tenn., also was approved. The settlement must first be approved by a bankruptcy court in Florida, where Prime Succession Inc. and its subsidiaries have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.</p><p>Both Higgins and Cabraser said they expect the bankruptcy judge to approve the settlement.</p><p>Information from: Chattanooga Times/free Press</p>