Federal judge approves $6M deal

The lawsuit was filed in 2002.

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement that will let more than 500 families share at least $4 million, ending a legal battle over the Hamilton County coroner’s practice of taking body parts without permission.

Approval came despite objections from some family members who argued the amount was too low or that officials at the coroner’s office should be punished.

U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith noted the objections in a decision Thursday, but said the $6 million settlement of the 2002 lawsuit was fair and in the best interests of the families and the county.

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David Stevenson, lawyer for the county, said he was pleased the judge found that former Coroner Carl Parrott and his staff did nothing illegal or unethical. The practice of retaining body parts, usually a heart or a brain, for study into cause of death, is common among coroner’s offices, Stevenson said.

Hamilton County now notifies families when any body part is removed for additional study and offers to return it to the family. Some coroners have said that discussing autopsies and the removal of parts can further upset grieving families.

“The narrow issue in this case was the coroner’s failure to provide notice,” Beckwith wrote. “The evidence shows that the coroner treated the decedents in as respectful a manner as medical science allows.”

Payouts to the families will vary, but the average will likely be $8,000 or less. Some $2 million of the total settlement will go to legal fees.