SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – A California woman alleges the largest death care services provider in the country deceptively and misleadingly markets its funeral services.
Rosalinda Delacruz filed a complaint on behalf of all others similarly situated on Jan. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Service Corp. International alleging violation of the California Unfair Competition Law and the Consumers Legal Remedies Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges the defendant "foists expensive funeral service 'packages' on bereaved consumers while failing to carry out its legal obligation to adequately inform those consumers they have the right to decline said 'packages' and instead purchase limited, less-expensive, or 'a la carte' funeral services."
The plaintiff alleges the defendant sold her a package of funeral products and services totaling $7,952 in July 2014.
The plaintiff holds Service Corp. International responsible because the defendant allegedly sells and markets its products in a manner designed to induce consumers to purchase the packages and cause consumers to incur expenses they did not need, want or were obligated to purchase.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks injunction against the defendant, disgorgement and restitution, compensatory damages, punitive damages, statutory damages, court costs and any further relief the court grants. She is represented by Jeffrey D. Kaliel of Kaliel PLLC in Washington, D.C. and Melissa Weiner and Christopher Moreland of Halunen Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California case number 1:18-cv-00154-LJO-EPG