Cremation of 800-Pound Body Burns Crematoria In Richmond

There is an interesting, if somewhat off-putting, story out of Richmond where the Southside Cremation Services building was set ablaze during a cremation in its attempt to cremate an 800 pound man. Fire crews had to extinguish the flames caused by the excessive heat and oil from the cremation. The story stood out from an insurance stand point. I am not sure how such risks are addressed in standard insurance and liability plans. While the fire did not spread, it would have made for a fascinating proximate causation case. Presumably, the over-sized cremated man is at no liability risk.

There is not only the insurance question governing the damage to the crematoria but there is also the liability to any family members for a botched cremation. The manager was quick to stress that “There was no damage to the body that would not be normal; it remained within the retort and we are about to proceed with the remainder of the cremation.” The notion of “no damage . . . that would not be normal” in a cremation captures the bizarre liability issues in such a case.

This facility is apparently designed to handle large individuals — a classification system that has until now escaped me.

Source: Times Dispatch