Justices: Dead man’s brother can sue over handling of corpse

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Supreme Court says the brother of a man whose corpse was used without permission for training by the Bellingham Fire Department can sue over it.

The fire department in 2018 performed 15 intubations on the corpse of Bradley Ginn Sr. without permission from the family.

The city has paid settlements totaling $325,000 to Ginn’s wife and adult children, but it claimed Ginn’s brother was not allowed to sue.

The justices disagreed in a 6-3 decision Thursday, saying the legal action for wrongful interference with a corpse was designed to compensate relatives who suffer from the mishandling of their loved one’s remains.

Cox Media Group