Akins Funeral Home Case Study

In the case of Akins Funeral Home, Inc. v. Teresa Miller, three young people died from a terrible car accident on February 20, 2000. The twist in this story surrounds a nineteen-year-old victim by the name of Matthew Miller who left behind his mother Teresa Miller, Andrea Megan Miller which just happened to be the wife and mother of his child along with other family members whose names weren’t listed. However, the body of Matthew was transported to Kilgore-Green Funeral Home in Jasper, Alabama. At the Millers’ family request, Doil Akins of Akins Funeral Home, Inc. took custody of the body and brought him to Akins Funeral Home, Inc. Because of the families religious beliefs they arranged for a normal open casket funeral. Although the family met with the funeral homes director Raymond Vernon and signed all of the proper contracts for the

Teresa's case was submitted to the jury on the counts alleging breach of contract, negligence and wantonness, and the tort of outrage. The jury returned a verdict against Akins and in favor of both plaintiffs. The jury assessed compensatory damages at $450,000 and punitive damages at $150,000, for a total of $600,000 in Megan's case; in Teresa's case, the jury assessed compensatory damages of $200,000 and punitive damages of $150,000, for a total of $350,000.” (AKINS FUNERAL HOME INC v. MILLER) However, things for the Akins funeral Home just gets worse and worse because the Akins funeral Home were not only in violation of errors with the Miller Family, but they had violated against the family, with the body who they mutilated illegally by