A US city has agreed to pay a multi-million pound settlement to the family of a young woman who was declared dead by paramedics, only to be found alive and gasping for air inside a body bag at a funeral home.
A Tragic Medical Failure
The incident centres on Timesha Beauchamp, a 20-year-old from Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, who suffered from cerebral palsy. On 23 August 2020, paramedics rushed to her home after she stopped breathing during a medical episode.
Emergency crews reportedly attempted to revive her for 30 minutes without success. A doctor then pronounced Beauchamp dead over the telephone, relying on information provided by the paramedics at the scene.
The Shocking Discovery at the Funeral Home
Later that day, staff at the James H Cole Home for Funerals made a horrifying discovery. As they prepared her body, they saw Beauchamp's eyes open and heard her desperately gasping for air inside the sealed body bag.
She was immediately rushed to a hospital. Tragically, she had suffered severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation and died several weeks later in October 2020, while attached to a ventilator.
Years of Litigation and a Final Settlement
The family, represented by lawyers Geoffrey Fieger and Steven Hurbis, filed a civil lawsuit in early October 2020, accusing the paramedics of gross negligence. After years of legal battles, the city of Southfield agreed to a settlement of $3.25 million (approximately £2.41 million) in December 2025.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Southfield acknowledged the "profound tragedy" and cited the "extraordinarily difficult circumstances" of the global pandemic, while reaffirming the city's commitment to high-quality emergency services.
Steven Hurbis described the outcome as "bittersweet" for the family. "They are looking forward to finding some closure, finding some way to heal," he said. "They have fought for Timesha for so long. Now, they're able to rest and to really mourn her."
The family had previously stated: “This is the second time our beloved Timesha has been pronounced dead, but this time she isn’t coming back.”
