ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A widow alleges a Florida funeral home improperly embalmed and mutilated her husband's body.
Geszel Brown and Amir Saleem filed a complaint Oct. 6 in the Orange County Circuit Court against Hayes Brothers Funeral Home - Altamonte Springs LLC alleging negligence and other claims.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, Brown's husband Larry died on May 25, 2020. They allege that Brown hired the defendant to embalm her husband's body, conduct the funeral services and then transport his body to the family plot in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The plaintiffs claim that Larry Brown's body was "squished, mutilated and had fluids coming out" which the defendant failed to correct by the second viewing held on June 5, 2020.
They further claim that on the day of the funeral, Brown's body was still leaking fluid and that guests observed bubbles leaking out of his mouth despite his wife's requests to correct the issue. The plaintiffs allege the defendant's negligence for failing to properly embalm her husband's body and for failing to exercise reasonable care in the handling of her husband's body. They also claim the defendant was negligent for failing to correct the mistake.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Michael Lewenz and Steffani Russo of Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz LLP in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange County