A Los Angeles family ended up burying the wrong woman after an Inglewood mortuary allegedly mixed up their loved one with someone else. CBS Los Angeles reports that the family members and friends of 82-year-old Darlene Davidson thought they attended her funeral and burial on March 1, 2013.

However, days later, they found out that the beloved mother never left the Simpson’s Family Mortuary. The mortuary found out about their mistake after another family reported that their relative was missing from their casket.

Family Warned Mortician

Davidson’s son, Eric Haynes, tells CBS that his family actually told the mortuary officials that something was wrong during the viewing. But, Haynes says, the mortician convinced him that it was his mother.

A spokesman for the mortuary apologized to the family for the mistake and said the mortuary is diligently working with both families to resolve the matter. Davidson’s burial has been rescheduled. The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau is investigating the incident.

Emotionally Devastating

It is heartbreaking for families to bury their loved ones one time. To have to bury the same loved one twice is unimaginable. It is unclear how or why this mix-up occurred. It is outrageous that the mortuary overrode the family’s concerns telling them they had the right person. The mortuary did not even double-check to allay family members’ fears and what we now know were valid concerns.

What type of a system does the mortuary have in place to keep track of caskets? Do they have some type of identification method in place? How will they prevent these types of incidents from occurring again in the future? These are some of the important questions that must be asked here.

Justice for Victims

In such cases, families that have been victims of funeral home abuse or negligence can hold the individuals and the company responsible for the incident accountable. Affected victims can seek compensation for damages including emotional distress. Filing a civil lawsuit is probably the only remedy families who are in these unfortunate situations have.

Anyone who has been the victim of funeral home negligence or abuse would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles funeral home abuse lawyer who has successfully handled these types of cases.