Disciplinary actions: Funeral directors

For details about many of these disciplinary actions, please see Search business and professional licenses.

August 2012

Finding:
- Unprofessional conduct — Violated a state law affecting the handling, custody, care, transportation, or disposition of human remains.
- Failed to follow directions from the next of kin.
- Unprofessional conduct — Incompetence, negligence, or malpractice that results in harm or damage to another.
Action: Fined $500, and license suspended for 3 months. License suspension is stayed (not imposed) if they submit a written summary of laws and rules and commit no other violations for 1 year.

Finding: Unprofessional conduct.
- Incompetence, negligence, or malpractice that results in harm or damage to another.
- Misrepresentation in any aspect of the conduct of the business or profession.
- Violation of any of the provisions of funeral/cemetery rules or associated rules.
Action: Reprimanded.

Finding:
- Prearrangement contracts — Annual report required, and certificates of registration required.
- Engaged in unlicensed practice.
- Failed to cooperate with us in the course of an investigation.
- Unprofessional conduct — Incompetence, negligence, or malpractice that results in harm or damage to another, and misrepresentation.
Action: Fined $5,000.

Finding: Unprofessional conduct — Violated a state law affecting the handling, custody, care, transportation, or disposition of human remains.
Action: Fined $2,000, and ordered to provide training on Washington laws and rules for death certificates and burial transit permits within 30 days to all licensed funeral directors and funeral director interns they employ.

Finding:
- Unprofessional conduct — Violated a state law affecting the handling, custody, care, transportation, or disposition of human remains.
- Failed to file a Certificate of Death within 3 days.
- Permits for burial, removal, etc. required.
Action: Fined $2,000, and ordered to provide training about Washington laws and rules for death certificates and burial transit permits within 30 days to all licensed funeral directors and funeral director interns they employ.

Finding: Assumed control of human remains without authority of next of kin, and unprofessional conduct (incompetence, negligence, or malpractice that results in harm or damage to another).
Action: License suspended for 1 year, and ordered to submit a written summary of regulations dealing with the handling and identification of human remains.

Finding:
- Prearrangement contracts — Annual report required, and certificates of registration required.
- Engaged in unlicensed practice.
- Failed to cooperate with us in the course of an investigation.
- Unprofessional Conduct — Misrepresentation, and incompetence, negligence, or malpractice that results in harm or damage to another.
Action: Fined $2,500, and ordered to cease and desist from soliciting or selling prearrangement funeral service contracts in Washington until licensed to do so.

Finding:
- Unprofessional conduct — Violated a state law affecting the handling, custody, care, transportation, or disposition of human remains.
- Failed to file a Certificate of Death within 3 days.
- Permits for burial, removal, etc. required.
Action: Fined $2,000, and ordered to provide training about Washington laws and rules for death certificates and burial transit permits within 30 days to all licensed funeral directors and funeral director interns they employ.

Finding: Assumed control of human remains without authority of next of kin, and unprofessional conduct (violated a state law affecting the handling, custody, care, transportation, or disposition of human remains).
Action: Fined $2,500.