Three New Jerseyans who got bone transplants from tissue that may have been illegally harvested from New York funeral-home corpses have tested positive for hepatitis and syphilis, their lawyer said yesterday.
Each underwent surgery at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, N.J., and claims to have been infected through a body-part-snatching scandal being investigated by the Brooklyn DA’s Office. Each has tested positive for both diseases within the last two weeks.
The lawyer, Andrew D’Arcy, said his firm has received more than 100 calls from possible victims since doctors began urging transplant patients to be tested for HIV, hepatitis and more.
“We’re evaluating the possibility of a class-action lawsuit and have contacted . . . 20 states,” said D’Arcy, who also represents two Mays Landing, N.J., residents who filed suits last week, naming Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, N.J., Regeneration Technologies of Alachua, Fla., and Medtronic Sofamor Danek of Memphis, Tenn., as defendants.
A Shore Memorial spokeswoman did not return a call for comment.
A grand jury has been hearing evidence against at least a half-dozen funeral homes and Biomedical Tissue on allegations that they conspired to sell stolen body parts.
Authorities believe hundreds of corpses, including that of “Masterpiece Theater” host Alistair Cooke, were carved up without permission in funeral parlors citywide to remove bone, skin and tendons, which were then sold.