Class action settlement to provide $1.25 million for St. Stephen's cemetery in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A $1,250,000 settlement has been proposed in a class action lawsuit Tina Seaton, et al., v. St. Stephen's Cemetery Association, et al., Case No. 17-CI-1663 alleging gross negligence by St. Stephen's Cemetery and its board members and caretaker for losing records related to the location of bodies, burying bodies in improper locations, and failing to follow Kentucky cemetery laws for the proper interment of bodies or cremated remains.

The Settlement Class is defined as: "All persons who purchased and/or who are the next of kin or the surviving spouse of a person who purchased a burial plot and/or services from St. Stephen's Cemetery between January 1, 1992, and February 24, 2017."

Settlement Class Members may file a claim to receive a pro-rata share of the settlement fund based on the number of graves purchased, the number of relatives buried at the cemetery during the relevant time period, the documentation provided and other factors. To receive a payment, you must submit a completed and signed claim form and provide documentation establishing that you are a member of the class.

You may submit a Claim Form online at www.KYCemeterySettlement.com. Claim Forms may also be printed from the website or requested by calling the Settlement Administrator and submitted by mail and postmarked by the claims deadline. The claims deadline will be determined at the fairness hearing held on March 24, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

If you do not want to be legally bound by the Settlement, you must opt-out by February 7, 2025. Unless you opt-out of the Settlement, you will not be able to sue St. Stephen's Cemetery or other released parties for any claim released by the Settlement. If you do not opt-out of the Settlement, you may object and notify the Court that you or your lawyer intend to appear at the Court's Final Approval Hearing. Objections are due February 7, 2025. Additional details about opting out or objecting are available online at www.KYCemeterySettlement.com.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing in this case on March 24, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Louisville, KY. At this hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve: (1) the Settlement; (2) $7,500 Service Awards for each Class Representative; and (3) Class Counsel's request for up to 33.33% or $416,625 in attorneys' fees, and reimbursement of costs (up to $100,000). You may appear at the hearing, but you do not have to. You also may hire your own attorney, at your own expense, to appear or speak for you at the hearing.

SOURCE Alex Davis Law Office PSC