Widow Sues After Husband's Body Falls From Casket During Burial

An 82-year-old widow is taking legal action after cemetery workers dropped her late husband's coffin while lowering it into the ground, causing his remains to spill out in front of horrified family members.

What Happened at the Graveside

According to a negligence lawsuit filed on June 2, Zinule Nisha Ghanni of Queens, New York, says the incident at Washington Memorial Park on Long Island has left her with severe emotional distress, psychological injury, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and a profound loss of enjoyment of life.

Her husband, 88-year-old Abdulla Ghanni, died on May 27, 2025. The family arranged for his burial the very next day at Washington Memorial Park. Instead of a peaceful farewell, the family watched in horror as the cemetery's equipment failed and the casket tumbled, ejecting the body.

Equipment Failure and Broken Protocols

The lawsuit places the blame squarely on the cemetery's failure to maintain its casket lowering device. The complaint accuses Washington Memorial Park of ignoring clear signs of equipment failure and failing to follow its own protocols, rules, and procedures.

As a result of the cemetery's recklessness and carelessness, the complaint states, Abdulla Ghanni's body was exposed during what should have been a dignified final moment.

[A]s a result of... failing to follow their own protocols, rules, policies and procedures in lowering Decedent Abdulla Ghanni's body into the ground, [his] body was caused to fall out of its casket and be exposed.

Violation of Sacred Burial Rights

Ghanni is also suing for loss of sepulcher, the legal right of next of kin to exercise control over a deceased relative's remains. The complaint argues that Washington Memorial Park deprived the widow of solace and comfort in the burial ritual by failing to properly lower her husband's body on May 28, 2025.

The cemetery had a clear duty to provide safe care and custody of the body and to deliver it to the ground without incident, the lawsuit contends. Instead, the complaint alleges, the cemetery failed to take adequate precautions or remedial measures.

Washington Memorial Park did not respond to a request for comment.

Pattern of Failures Raises Accountability Questions

This case is not an isolated incident. Errors and mix-ups at cemeteries and funeral homes have triggered numerous lawsuits across the country, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability in an industry that families trust during their most vulnerable moments.

In 2023, a Houston family sued a mortuary service after workers allegedly dropped their father's body down a flight of stairs, causing denting and bruising on his head and trapping the son's arm beneath the gurney. The family described tremendous mental anguish that interfered with their ability to grieve.

That same year, a suburban New York cemetery buried the wrong man in a family's purchased plot. Clifford Zaner, 72, had told his daughters he wanted to be buried in his favorite Led Zeppelin T-shirt and black jeans. A stranger was buried in Zaner's grave wearing his clothes, and the family was forced to endure a second funeral three weeks later.

Iowa Families Not Immune

Iowa residents should take note. Similar cases of shocking failures in the death care industry have been reported right here in the Hawkeye State. In 2024, a Long Island family sued a nursing home and funeral home after declaring their 82-year-old mother dead, zipping her into a body bag, and sending her off for embalming while she was still alive. Cases of living people mistakenly pronounced dead have been documented in Australia, Brazil, Utah, Detroit, and Iowa.

These incidents underscore a troubling reality. When families are at their most vulnerable, the institutions they trust can fail them in the most devastating ways. For Iowa families arranging burials and funerals, the message is clear. Ask questions about equipment, protocols, and staff training before turning a loved one's remains over to any facility.

Seeking Justice

Ghanni's lawsuit accuses Washington Memorial Park of negligent hiring, training, and supervision of its workers. The complaint also alleges the cemetery violated Article 42 of the New York Public Health Law, which governs the proper disposition of human remains.

The filing argues that the dropping of the casket and the exposure of the body would not have occurred without the cemetery's negligence.

Ghanni is seeking damages to be determined at trial, plus interest, legal fees, and court costs. A Washington Memorial spokesperson has not returned requests for comment.

For families across Iowa and the nation, this lawsuit is a sobering reminder that accountability matters. The right to lay a loved one to rest with dignity is sacred, and when institutions fail to uphold that trust, they must be held responsible.