A graveside subpoena has kept a New Jersey man from his final resting place, and now members of his family are venting their outrage. Unfortunately, the family of the late Harold St. John is the most recent victim of the corporate legal machine.
In a desperate attempt to gain some ground in an ongoing lawsuit, the Chrysler Automobile Company demanded the body of Harold St. John be removed from his funeral service so additional tests could be performed. His remains have unfortunately become part of the legal tug of war surrounding a lawsuit Harold St. John’s exposure to asbestos while working for his father’s auto shop.
Harold St. John was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare disease that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. While installing brake liners in his youth, Harold was constantly exposed to the dangerous chemical. As a result of his illness, he sued both Chrysler and Honeywell.
According to the family, the removal of the body was completely unwarranted. Chrysler’s claim was that the body needed to be removed in order to attain tissue samples, and discover the cause of death. However, Harold had undergone several extremely painful biopsy procedures to provide sufficient tissue samples while he was still alive.
Thus, the family has been left confused, only able to speculate why the Chrysler Corporation would get a court order for the remains of their father the day of his service.
“They waited until we all left, I don’t get it,” stated his son.
“The have all the evidence they need,” reports his late wife. “It’s a stall tactic. They’re ruthless.”
(WCBS-2, Cranbury, New Jersey)
Indeed, it would seem that respect for the dead and mourning don’t apply when it comes to Chrysler’s corporate agenda.