Opinion ID: 883667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Negligent Conduct Causing Emotional Distress

Text: The District Court applied what it concluded to be the majority view, that to recover damages for emotional distress, funeral home conduct in handling a dead body must be willful, wanton, or malicious. The District Court noted that it is undisputed that the funeral homes did not act with malicious or wanton conduct. Michelotti-Sawyers argues that in order to recover for negligent infliction of emotional distress, the distress must be accompanied by physical injury. We disagree. We recently recognized the independent tort of negligent infliction of emotional distress in Sacco v. High Country Independent Press, Inc. (1995), [271 Mont. 209], 896 P.2d 411 (1995). In Sacco, we held that [a] cause of action for negligent infliction of emotional distress will arise under circumstances where serious or severe emotional distress to the plaintiff was the reasonably foreseeable consequence of the defendant's negligent act or omission. Sacco, at ___, 896 P.2d at ___. In Sacco we adopted the definition of severe or serious emotional distress from the Restatement (Second) of Torts, § 46, comment j at 77-78. Sacco, at ___ ___, 896 P.2d at ___ ___ That opinion further detailed the Montana case history regarding our establishment of the tort of negligent infliction of emotional distress. The question then becomes how to apply the rule established in Sacco to claims based on negligent handling of dead bodies. Other jurisdictions have considered this issue. In Washington, the Supreme Court rejected the physical injury requirement for mental distress injuries, in favor of measuring a defendant's liability by: strictures imposed by negligence theory, i.e., foreseeable risk, threatened danger, and unreasonable conduct measured in light of the danger. [Citation omitted.] Mental suffering, to be compensable, however, must at least be manifested by objective symptoms. [Citation omitted.] Corrigal v. Ball & Dodd Funeral Home, Inc. (Wash. 1978), 577 P.2d 580, 582. Michigan has recognized a particular interest in knowing that the deceased has been given a comfortable and dignified resting place. Vogelaar v. United States (E.D. Mich. 1987), 665 F. Supp. 1295, 1306. We reject the conclusion adopted in some jurisdictions that misconduct by a funeral home warrants carving an exception to the zone of danger requirement (recovery for emotional distress resulting from viewing the serious injury or death of an immediate family member if the claimant was within the zone of danger). Kimelman v. City of Colorado Springs (Colo. App. 1988), 775 P.2d 51, 52. In Versland v. Caron Transport (1983), 206 Mont. 313, 671 P.2d 583, we recognized the right to collect damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress when a plaintiff suffered direct emotional distress from witnessing the death or serious injury of a spouse even though not within the zone of danger. Similarly, in this case we recognize the right to damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress resulting from the mishandling of a corpse. Our holding here does not create a new cause of action. Rather, we are applying our decision in Sacco to include negligent infliction of emotional distress in situations where the emotional distress resulted from negligent treatment of a dead body. Negligent infliction of emotional distress claims focus on impacts to the living which result from mistreatment of the decedent's body. First, where the body is harmed and the decedent's survivors are aware, they may be impacted (emotional or physical impact) by the indignity and/or mistreatment. See, e.g., State v. Powell (Fla. 1986), 497 So.2d 1188 (wrongful removal of corneas); Whitehair v. Highland Memory Gardens, Inc. (W. Va. 1985), 327 S.E.2d 438 (negligent disinterment). Secondly, when the body is harmed, the survivor's plans for disposition of the body may be altered or made impossible. See, e.g., Courtney v. Saint Joseph Hospital (Ill. App. 1 Dist. 1986), 500 N.E.2d 703 (refrigerator malfunction leaves body unfit for open casket wake and funeral); Thompson v. Duncan Bros. Funeral Homes, Inc. (N.Y. Co. 1982), 455 N.Y.S.2d 324 (negligent embalming leaves body decomposing, leaking fluid, and odoriferous). Historically, courts have required that physical injury accompany mental disturbance in order to recover under negligence causes of action. Prosser and Keeton On the Law of Torts (W. Page Keeton et al., (5th Ed. 1984) § 54, page 361) (Prosser). Prosser concludes, however, that cases involving negligent mishandling of a corpse are special and that many dead body cases, including negligent embalming, are likely to involve genuine and serious mental distress, arising from the special circumstances, which serves as a guarantee that the claim is not spurious. Prosser, § 54, page 362. The American Jurisprudence (2d) (Am.Jur.) provides that: Courts have, to a great extent, based civil liability for wrongful acts with regard to a dead body on the interference with the right of burial. Thus, the courts have generally recognized that interference with the right of a person to bury the body of his spouse or kin is an actionable wrong.... 22A Am.Jur.2d Dead Bodies § 35 (1965). The decisions cited by the Am.Jur. involve physical manifestations or harm to the decedent's body that directly affect the availability of an open casket viewing or funeral. These include mud and water damage to the body ( Lamm v. Shingleton (N.C. 1949), 55 S.E.2d 810) and lack of refrigeration causing body decay ( Courtney v. Saint Joseph Hospital (Ill. 1986), 500 N.E.2d 703). Many dead body cases fall into categories, such as improper delivery and transport of bodies (including loss); mutilation, dissection, and removal of body parts; unauthorized autopsies; wrongful interment and wrongful disinterment (and reinterment). See generally 22A Am.Jur.2d Dead Bodies §§ 37-39. Based on our holding in Sacco and the foregoing discussion, we hold that one who negligently removes, withholds, mutilates, embalms, provides funeral, burial, or crematory services, or operates upon the body of a dead person or prevents its proper interment or cremation is subject to liability to the deceased person's close relatives for resulting emotional distress. This negligent infliction of emotional distress shall be appraised based on the test established in Sacco and adopted above. See Sacco, at ___-___, 896 P.2d at ___-___.