NST Law Proceeds with Class Action Lawsuit against Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Homes

In early 2014, news outlets in Memphis and across the United States began extensively reporting about heinous and shocking acts that occurred at Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery near Memphis, Tennessee. Galilee employees have been accused of stacking and desecrating bodies and burying multiple bodies in single graves. In addition, Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery has been operating without a valid Tennessee license since December 31, 2010, but many funeral homes continued to do business with Galilee after that date. Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery was officially shut down in January 2014 due, in part, to the unspeakable allegations described above. On February 21, 2014, former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff was officially appointed by the State of Tennessee as the Special Deputy Receiver for Galilee, meaning he has taken over operations at Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery and is in charge of investigating certain records and wrongdoing.
Nahon, Saharovich and Trotz (“NST Law”), the largest Tennessee-based personal injury law firm, filed a $225 million dollar class action lawsuit against Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery and various funeral homes on February 27, 2014. NST Law’s class action complaint specifically asserts claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, negligence, negligent entrustment, intentional interference with a corpse, negligent interference with a corpse, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and unjust enrichment. This detailed complaint explains each cause of action and describes how Galilee and the funeral homes violated Tennessee law. The complaint also seeks punitive damages against Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery and the associated funeral homes for their willful, intentional and/or reckless disregard for the rights of those buried and their loved ones. We are currently investigating claims against Galilee and also the funeral homes which did business with Galilee after December 31, 2010, which is the date that Galilee lost its Tennessee license.
Since filing the complaint, Team NST has been working to effectively develop this class action lawsuit, investigate the appalling acts that took place in and around the Galilee cemetery, and represent the interests of certain decedents and their loved ones. On March 28, 2014, the Galilee Practice Group team of NST lawyers appeared in court in Nashville, Tennessee, specifically seeking clarification on how to best proceed with this complex Tennessee class action lawsuit. The judge recognized the difficult task ahead of the state-appointed receiver and stated that Team NST may move forward with its class action lawsuit and continue to represent surviving loved ones as long as the lawsuit does not interfere with the tasks of the state-appointed receiver for Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
If you would like NST Law to investigate a potential claim against Galilee Memorial Gardens Cemetery or various funeral homes, call the Galilee Help Desk today at 901-683-7000. As the largest personal injury law firm based in Tennessee, NST Law has the resources in place to handle complex litigation cases of this magnitude. Call today for a free initial consultation with a Team NST Tennessee attorney.