Forensic Pathology and the Investigation of Death

Abstract

When death occurs suddenly and unexpectedly or by violent means, society looks to public authorities for answers and accountability. The National Academy of Sciences recommends establishing medical examiner systems throughout the country to investigate these deaths to certify the cause and manner of death. Minimum requirements for resources and staffing must be met to provide adequate death investigations for a particular jurisdiction. Every known death in the United States is documented and recorded. When the death is sudden or unexpected or involves injuries or possible or suspicious circumstances, determining the cause and manner of death is the sole province of the medical examiner. Correctly determining the cause of death requires careful evaluation of a host of complex and competing issues, consisting of mechanism and immediate and proximate causes. The forensic autopsy is extremely important and detailed, preserving trace evidence, and relying on specialized techniques to answer specific questions. A medical doctor’s training in the subspecialty of forensic pathology provides competency in diagnosis of injuries due to trauma (such as firearm injuries, blunt and sharp force trauma, asphyxia, and child abuse) and sudden unexpected death from natural causes. The medical examiner presents expert testimony in court and has the professional responsibility to apply information from the studies of death to benefit the living.