A woman who was mistakenly pronounced dead at her home in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, shocked funeral workers by gasping for air when they opened her body bag at a funeral home. The 20-year-old, Timesha Beauchamp, who had cerebral palsy, had stopped breathing during a medical episode in September 2020. Despite efforts by paramedics to revive her for 30 minutes, a doctor declared her dead over the phone.
After the incident, the town agreed to compensate Beauchamp’s family with a $3.25 million settlement. The city of Southfield acknowledged the challenges posed by the pandemic in handling the situation and expressed regret for the family’s suffering.
Although Beauchamp was rushed to the hospital after the discovery at the funeral home, she passed away weeks later due to severe brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation. Her family, who had previously endured the trauma of her being wrongly declared dead, filed a civil lawsuit with the assistance of attorney Geoffrey Fieger, eventually leading to the settlement in December.
The family’s lawyer, Steven Hurbis, mentioned that the family sought closure and justice after a long legal battle. He emphasized the bittersweet nature of the moment, acknowledging the family’s unimaginable loss and their enduring fight for justice.
This settlement marks a significant step towards healing and closure for the family of Timesha Beauchamp, who tragically experienced the ordeal of her premature declaration of death.
