Veteran died at Calif. hospital. Family says they weren't told for 3 years.

"Over the course of at least the past five years, and likely longer, Dignity has engaged in a pattern and practice of egregiously failing to perform myriad post-death responsibilities related to patients who died in the care and custody of its hospitals."

"Hospital staff never informed Harvey's relatives of his death or issued a death certificate within the time frame required under California law. The hospital, run by Dignity Health, allegedly released Harvey's remains to Mortuary Support Services of Northern California the same day he died, sending his decomposing body to a Sacramento facility for storage."

"Without a death certificate or required reporting, Harvey's death was never registered in official databases that would typically trigger notifications to authorities and family members. It wasn't until the Sacramento County coroner contacted relatives on Nov. 28, 2025, that Harvey's family finally learned of his death."

Charles Wesley Harvey, a Vietnam War veteran, died at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael on June 2, 2022, but his family remained unaware of his death for more than three years. His sister Nancy Louks and son Jacob Harvey filed a class-action lawsuit against CommonSpirit Health, Dignity Health, Mortuary Support Services of Northern California, and funeral director Michael Robert Lofton. The complaint alleges that hospital staff failed to notify relatives, issue a timely death certificate, or properly register the death in official databases. Harvey's remains were transferred to a mortuary facility where they were allegedly stored improperly without adequate refrigeration, causing severe deterioration. The family only learned of his death when the Sacramento County coroner contacted them in November 2025.

Read at SFGATE