Ohio county settling suit over morgue body mix-up for $165K

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio county will pay $165,000 to settle a lawsuit over a body mix-up at a morgue that led to one man being incorrectly cremated and another entombed in his place.

The Dayton Daily News reports Montgomery County commissioners this week approved the payment in the lawsuit filed by the family of 55-year-old Frank Granato, of Carmel, Ind. Granato and pilot Arthur Potter, of Greenwood, Ind., were killed in a small plane crash in March 2010 in Union County, northeast of Dayton.

Potter’s family had Granato’s body cremated. Potter’s body was sent to Grenato’s family and entombed in a mausoleum.

Coroner’s officials said the damaged bodies couldn’t be identified by sight.

The lawsuit claimed a coroner’s official didn’t properly ensure correct identification. His attorneys argued he didn’t act recklessly.