A harrowing lawsuit has been filed against a Texas-based corporation, alleging severe negligence in the handling of a deceased loved one. On December 13, 2024, Brian Mann, Carolyn Eanes, and Darrell Mann filed a complaint in Harris County District Court against Service Corporation International (SCI), accusing the company of gross negligence in the post-mortem handling of their father’s body.
The plaintiffs, who are siblings, claim that SCI failed to provide the professional funeral services it promised for their father, Harvey A. Mann, who passed away on March 6, 2024. According to the lawsuit, SCI was contracted to manage all aspects of Harvey Mann's funeral arrangements, including embalming and transportation of his body. However, when the family arrived for the funeral service at Woody’s Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel in Midlothian, Virginia—part of SCI's Dignity Memorial network—they were met with a shocking sight: their father's body was severely decomposed. This forced them to hold a closed casket ceremony instead of the open casket service they had planned.
The plaintiffs allege that SCI's mishandling of their father's remains caused them significant emotional distress and deprived them of the opportunity to properly mourn their loss. They accuse SCI of failing to perform its duties in a good and workmanlike manner by not embalming or transporting the body correctly and by not ensuring that competent personnel were employed for these tasks. The complaint further states that SCI acted with gross negligence by disregarding known risks associated with improper handling of deceased bodies.
As part of their legal action, Brian Mann and his siblings are seeking over $1 million in damages from SCI. They are asking for compensation for actual damages, pecuniary losses, funeral expenses, medical expenses related to emotional distress treatment both past and future pain and suffering as well as mental anguish. Additionally, they seek exemplary damages due to what they describe as SCI's conscious disregard for their rights and emotional well-being.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys Scott P. Armstrong and Shruti A. Modi from Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP based in Houston, Texas. The case is presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID 2024-86582.