What To Know If Someone Dies While In Another State

According to the U.S. Travel Association, Americans go on a total of more than one-and-a-half billion trips each year. While passing away during travel is not typically something people anticipate, life is always uncertain. Should someone die while out of state, it is important to understand that there are some additional steps that are required if you want to transport your loved one home. At Mountain View Funeral Home, we can help you make the necessary arrangements to help simplify this process for you.

Going Home

Preparation and transportation are typically the first steps in the process of dealing with the situation if you die out of state. Each state’s laws differ, however most require embalming to take place before the deceased may cross state lines. Transport may take place by ground or airplane, depending upon the distance from your home state. These things can be arranged through a mortuary located in the city where the death occurred. This is known as the shipping funeral home, and they will take care of all necessary documentation, preparation, and transportation arrangements. This assistance can ease some of the burden on loved ones who are coping with their loss.

Alternatively, some families choose cremation, which is performed by the shipping funeral home. This simplifies the process somewhat if the deceased had already made their wish for cremation known. Then loved ones may carry out the funeral or memorial service at your preferred funeral home upon arrival back in your home state.

Planning Ahead

At Mountain View Funeral Home, our goal is to help families as much as possible throughout the difficult time that accompanies a loss. Utilizing our pre-planning services means that your loved ones will have one less thing to worry about when the time comes. Whether a death happens out of state or in the Phoenix area, our funeral home staff is ready to assist you in the following days to ensure everything goes smoothly.