Why is the Coroner hiding the truth from you?

A true account

Samantha and her three year old boy Kenny were invited to a co-worker’s home for a barbeque and swim party. Samantha and Kenny enjoyed their time in the pool but it was getting time for dinner and everybody was exiting the pool and going inside so that they could sit down for dinner away from the hot summer sun.

Samantha asked her friends to watch little Kenny as he sat on the couch while she went into the powder room to change out of her wet clothes. All said “Sure thing”. In just a matter of two minutes, she was back in the front room, but Kenny was nowhere to be found. Panic set in.

A quick search of the backyard and swimming pool showed Kenny not there. A further search of the home, including upstairs bedrooms, did not locate little Kenny. A second search of the pool resulted in horror to all present. Little Kenny lay lifeless on the bottom of the pool. Everything was done that could be done to save his life, but Kenny was gone. The sun glare and reflection prevented all from seeing Kenny in the pool on the very first observation.

Samantha and her husband lost their little baby boy that day. They could not believe that their friends had failed them in such a tragic way. The friends apologized but the pain was deep and the friends immediately distanced themselves from Samantha and her husband. Few answers were available.

Samantha and her husband were so devastated from the loss of their little boy, that neither could muster the ability to go to work for several months. The bills piled up. The savings account slowly emptied. The heartbreak seemed to never end. Eventually, they knew they needed help getting answers. What did their friends say to the coroner’s investigator? Why did this happen? Calls made to the coroner’s office resulted in no information. Seeing no alternative, they decided to hire wrongful death lawyer, Rich Harris.

Mr. Harris quickly acquired the coroner’s investigation report and immediately noticed the lack of investigation. Literally no statements acquired from the owner/renters of the property. No police report referenced. Almost nothing.

The Coroner failed to consider or even reference the swimming pool code violations for failure to fence the pool and failure to install alarms on the exit doors of the residence. The Coroner was being non-responsive because the Coroner’s office did not do a thorough investigation and report in this tragic case.

Mr. Harris then contacted the owners/renters of the property but all refused to provide statements. A lawsuit was filed on behalf of Samantha and her husband. Answers were demanded and lawyers for the owners/renters all agreed to provide detailed statements under penalty of perjury. Samantha and her husband received the answers they needed. They received compensation from the property insurance companies that allowed them to recover their financial losses.

Do you need help getting real answers from the Coroner?

If you are not receiving answers from the Coroner’s office it may be because they failed to do a thorough investigation of your loved one’s death. More often than not, the Coroner’s office does a good job. But mistakes are made, if so they become quiet, they don’t provide loved ones with answers. They delay reports, they delay everything. You might be told they have six (6) months to issue their findings or that reports are on a law enforcement hold. You receive no answers...when you need them most.

With over 26 years of experience working with Coroner’s offices, Mr. Harris is able to collect the facts, make the calls, and hire the investigators to get answers to your questions. Mr. Harris knows the right questions to ask, how to ask them, so that you get answers faster. Criminal investigations do cause delays but you deserve answers as fast as they can be acquired. Mr. Harris, asserts and protects your rights so that you get the truth as soon as it becomes known.

** Certain facts and information has been altered and/or redacted to protect the identity of those involved. Yet the underlying facts and results are a true account of an actual case. The law does provide Coroner's offices with certain legal rights to delay reports and information. Please call our office and we will review your case and advise you of your legal rights. There is no-cost to you...we provide this initial review free of any charge, fee or obligation.