jason
03-26-2008, 08:52 AM
Pallbearer Buried By Coffin After He Falls Into Grave
A pallbearer says he was seriously hurt after he fell into a grave and the coffin he was helping to carry crashed on top of him.
The injured pallbearer, Joseph Rivas, blamed the funeral home for the accident. Rivas says the grave at Mission Park South was too big and that park workers tried to cover it up.
While acting as a pallbearer for a funeral in February, Rivas says he stepped on a piece of astro-turf that "collapsed into the grave." Then, the "coffin fell on top" of him resulting in "severe and permanent injury."
According ot the lawsuit, Rivas says cemetery employees "failed to warn" him of the "dangerous condition" and claims the opening was "excessively large" and was "concealed by the astro-turf."
News 4 spoke with Dick Tips, the owner of the cemetery, but he said he was too busy to meet with us. Tips did speak to News 4 by phone and said he doesn't believe there was any wrong doing. He said they use a back hoe to dig the graves and can't image how this one would have been larger than any others.
The lawsuit doesn't explain Rivas' injuries, but does ask for his medical expenses to be paid, reimbursement for his lost earnings, and to be compensated for his physical impairment in the past and in the future.
The amount of money that Rivas and his attorney are asking for is being left up to the judge to decide.
LINK (http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c361b505-057a-4b17-aba4-8a3dd2245162&rss=68)
A pallbearer says he was seriously hurt after he fell into a grave and the coffin he was helping to carry crashed on top of him.
The injured pallbearer, Joseph Rivas, blamed the funeral home for the accident. Rivas says the grave at Mission Park South was too big and that park workers tried to cover it up.
While acting as a pallbearer for a funeral in February, Rivas says he stepped on a piece of astro-turf that "collapsed into the grave." Then, the "coffin fell on top" of him resulting in "severe and permanent injury."
According ot the lawsuit, Rivas says cemetery employees "failed to warn" him of the "dangerous condition" and claims the opening was "excessively large" and was "concealed by the astro-turf."
News 4 spoke with Dick Tips, the owner of the cemetery, but he said he was too busy to meet with us. Tips did speak to News 4 by phone and said he doesn't believe there was any wrong doing. He said they use a back hoe to dig the graves and can't image how this one would have been larger than any others.
The lawsuit doesn't explain Rivas' injuries, but does ask for his medical expenses to be paid, reimbursement for his lost earnings, and to be compensated for his physical impairment in the past and in the future.
The amount of money that Rivas and his attorney are asking for is being left up to the judge to decide.
LINK (http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c361b505-057a-4b17-aba4-8a3dd2245162&rss=68)