What must a funeral establishment do if a family does not claim a body?

When a family does not claim a body, the appropriate course of action for a funeral establishment is to cremate or bury the body in a designated potter's field. This procedure is guided by Ohio law, which addresses the handling of unclaimed bodies to ensure public health and safety, as well as to respect the dignity of the deceased.

A potter's field is a burial place for unidentified or unclaimed individuals, providing a respectful means of disposition when families are unable or unwilling to take responsibility for the body. The law typically requires funeral establishments to make reasonable efforts to notify the family before proceeding with this step, but if they ultimately cannot be reached or do not respond, the establishment operates within the guidelines by utilizing a potter's field for final disposition.

This approach ensures that the body is not kept indefinitely, which could pose health risks and complicate logistics, and it avoids the potential legal issues that might arise from cremating the remains without proper authorization or due process. Reporting to authorities may not directly resolve the situation of the unclaimed body, especially if there aren't any requirements for continuing to search for family members when means of proper burial or cremation are available. Thus, following established procedures for unclaimed bodies is critical in the funeral service