The family of a woman who was hit by a car six months ago has filed a lawsuit against Stevens Brothers Funeral Home, claiming they shared a photo of their deceased daughter on Facebook.
Jakiel Allyson Jones’ parents said that a family friend informed them about the post and their attorney claims that only the funeral home had access to the body.
The photo was taken on a concrete slab in the prep room before the funeral.
“My baby was partially clothed on a mortuary slab with her hair pulled back,” Deanna Washington, the woman’s mother, said. “…her body had not been prepped for us or anyone else to view.”
“To think that you’re hiring a funeral home to trust your loved one with, and to have something like this happen, it’s a tragedy,” Washington added.
According to the lawsuit, the woman’s parents, Washington and Jessie Jones have suffered “mental anguish, emotional distress and additional pain and suffering regarding the loss of their loved one.”
Nicole Hunt Jackson, the family’s lawyer, said the case is about accountability.
“This funeral home owed a duty to these good people to handle this difficult time with dignity and respect for the family and their loved one,” she said. “The conscious choice made by the employee at Stevens Brothers to take and share a photo of Jakiel’s disfigured body, violated every sense of dignity and respect that should have been given to the family and the deceased. Stevens Brothers failed these good people at the most vulnerable time in their lives and they should be held accountable.”
The family isn’t seeking monetary damages from the lawsuit. They just want to ensure that this doesn’t happen again to another family.
“My primary focus is to try and prevent family members from being subjected to the type of behavior my clients have had to suffer,” Jackson said.
For information about personal injury claims, visit Cohen & Cohen, P.C.
