After Corrina and Raymond Korzeb’s infant daughter died unexpectedly in February 2023, they wanted her embalmed so they could hold her one last time and have an open casket funeral.
Instead, the funeral home failed to properly care for the body of Emma Korzeb, letting her decompose, a lawsuit filed in York County Superior Court said. The Korzebs, from Sanford, are suing Bibber Memorial Chapel, at 47 Oak St. in Alfred.
They allege the chapel’s mishandling of Emma’s body was intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and breach of contract. The parents are not asking for a specific amount of money, instead they want a judge to award them compensatory and punitive damages.
“It is reprehensible that these parents were caused additional, unnecessary pain and suffering while already coping with the unimaginable grief of losing their infant daughter,” said Travis Brennan, the Korzeb’s lawyer from Berman & Simmons.
Bibber Memorial Chapel did not return a call requesting comment.
Emma was 6 weeks old when she died unexpectedly Feb. 11, 2023. Her parents signed a contract with Bibber in which the funeral home was supposed to handle, embalm and store her body from Feb. 13 to 18, the lawsuit said.
The embalming happens in Kennebunk and there are other facilities in Alfred, Wells and Berwick. Bibber Memorial Chapel is supposed to provide training and oversight, but did not have employees with adequate training, experience and supervision, according to the lawsuit.
When her parents arrived at the chapel for a private viewing Feb. 17, the employees knew Emma’s body had significant signs of decomposition but held the viewing anyway.
“Emma’s body was entirely unrecognizable,” the lawsuit said.
The Korzebs could smell Emma’s decomposing body, which was bloated and dark purple, according to the lawsuit.
Corrina and Raymond Korzeb were left traumatized, shocked and distraught. They also had to hold a closed casket funeral, despite plans for an open casket service to allow friends and family to see Emma one last time.
Nearly a year after Emma’s death, Corrina and Raymond Korzeb still have distressing memories about their experience, in addition to mourning the loss of their infant daughter.
Corrina and Raymond Korzeb are living with emotional harm from the knowledge of how Emma’s body was mishandled, how her decomposing body smelled and the unrecognizable state of her body.
Bibber also breached the contract by failing to provide competent handling of Emma’s body, the lawsuit said.
In September 2022, a jury awarded a woman $5.5 million after her father’s body lay decomposing for weeks on the floor of Affordable Cremation Solution in Lewiston. There are more than a dozen lawsuits filed against the company, the Sun Journal reported.
