OSAC	2022-N-0026	Medicolegal	Death

Investigation	Terms	and	Definitions

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OSAC 2022-N-0026 

Medicolegal Death

Investigation: Terms and 

Definitions

Medicolegal	Death	Investigation

Medicine	Scientific	Area	Committee

Organization	of	Scientific	Area	Committees	(OSAC)	for	Forensic	Science
OSAC	2022-N-0026	Medicolegal	Death

Investigation	Terms	and	Definitions

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OSAC Proposed Standard

OSAC 2022-N-0026

Medicolegal Death Investigation:

Terms and Definitions

Prepared	by	

Medicolegal	Death	Investigation

Version:	2.0

July 2022

Disclaimer:

This OSAC Proposed Standard was written by the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) 

for Forensic Science following a process that includes an open comment period. This Proposed Standard 

will be submitted to a standards developing organization and is subject to change.

There may be references in an OSAC Proposed Standard to other publications under development by 

OSAC. The information in the Proposed Standard, and underlying concepts and methodologies, may be 

used by the forensic-science community before the completion of such companion publications.

Any identification of commercial equipment, instruments, or materials in the Proposed Standard is not a 

recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Government and does not imply that the equipment, 

instruments, or materials are necessarily the best available for the purpose.
OSAC	2022-N-0026	Medicolegal	Death

Investigation	Terms	and	Definitions

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Medicolegal	Death	Investigation:	

Terms	and	Definitions

Foreword

The Medicolegal Death Investigation Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Area 

Committees determined that there was variation in the terms and definitions relevant to 

medicolegal death investigation. This document standardizes the terms and definitions to 

promote consistency across disciplines and jurisdictions.

Keywords:	medicolegal	death	investigation,	coroner,	medical	examiner

Abstract:	This technical document provides the standardization of terms and definitions used in 

standards development in the medicolegal death investigation community. The use of 

standardized terminology in the medicolegal death investigation community promotes 

consistency across jurisdictions and relieves the judicial system of conflicting terms and 

definitions.
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Investigation	Terms	and	Definitions

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Table	of	Contents

1 Scope

2 Terms	and	Definitions
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Investigation	Terms	and	Definitions

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Medicolegal	Death	Investigation:		Terms	and	Definitions

1. Scope

This technical document provides the standardization of terms and definitions used in standards 

development in the medicolegal death investigation community in the United States. The use of 

standardized terminology in the medicolegal death investigation community promotes 

consistency across jurisdictions and relieves the judicial system of conflicting terms and 

definitions. The list of terms included in this document are fundamental to medicolegal death 

investigation and associated standards; it is not meant to be exhaustive.

2. Terms and Definitions

2.1

accreditation

Formal recognition by an independent accreditation body that a medicolegal system, office, or 

agency meets or exceeds a prescribed set of standards 

2.2

accident (manner of death)

Unexpected or unforeseen death due to injury without intent to harm or cause death

2.3

autopsy

Postmortem diagnostic medical procedure conducted by a pathologist, consisting of external and 

internal examination of a decedent, and may include other ancillary tests

2.4

cause of death

Medical opinion of the disease or injury that resulted in a person’s death

2.5

certification

Procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a person, product, process, or 

service conforms to specific requirements (ISO/IEC Guide 2:2016)

2.6

chief medicolegal officer

Medical examiner, coroner, justice of the peace or other official who oversees the operation of a 

medicolegal death investigation office and/or system
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2.7

certified medicolegal death investigator

Medicolegal death investigator who has completed the requirements for Certification (Registry 

or Board) by an accredited credentialing body; currently American Board of Medicolegal Death 

Investigators

2.8

coroner

An elected or appointed official responsible for overseeing medicolegal death investigations, 

usually for a single county, and for certifying the cause and manner of death in these 

investigations; duties vary based on local enabling statutes

2.9

could not be determined (manner of death)

(see 2.37 undetermined) 

2.10

death certificate

A permanent document, registered with the vital records office, that states the identification, fact 

of death, cause of death, and manner of death; a source of mortality statistics

2.13

death scene

Location or site at which a death is pronounced, and at which the decedent’s body is 

located. This need not be the same location as the incident scene 

2.14

decedent

Deceased person or any suspected human remains

2.15

external examination

Diagnostic medical procedure conducted by a pathologist that consists of physical inspection of 

the decedent without internal examination; can include ancillary tests

2.16

external evaluation

Physical assessment of the decedent by a medicolegal death investigator
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2.17

forensic autopsy

Autopsy authorized by law and typically performed under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner 

or coroner for criminal justice, civil, and/or public health purposes

2.18

forensic pathologist

Physician who is board-certified in forensic pathology by an accredited credentialing body; 

currently American Board of Pathology and American Osteopathic Board of Pathology 

2.19

forensic pathology

Practice of medicine in which the principles of pathology are applied to problems of potential 

legal, public health, or public safety significance; a common function is the performance of 

autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death

2.20

homicide (manner of death)

Death as a result of a volitional act committed by another person (e.g., injury, poisoning)

2.21

hospital autopsy

Autopsy requested by a medical caretaker or healthcare facility, usually authorized by the next of 

kin

2.22

incident scene

Location at which a fatal injury or fatal sequence of events was initiated. This may or may not 

be the location where the death was pronounced 

2.23

jurisdiction

(1) Legal authority to make legal decisions and judgments regarding a death, including 

performance of autopsy, as well as investigation and certification of cause and manner of death.

(2) Geographic area in which a medical examiner or coroner’s authority applies

2.24

manner of death
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Classification system based on the circumstances under which death occurred; usually consists of 

accident, homicide, natural, suicide, and undetermined. These manners are then used for public 

health and vital statistics purposes

2.25

medical examiner

Appointed forensic pathologist whose duty is to oversee medicolegal death investigations, 

perform postmortem examinations, and certify cause and manner of death. In some jurisdictions, 

individuals with other qualifications hold the title “Medical Examiner”, but for purposes of this 

document those individuals are considered medicolegal death investigators 

2.26

medicolegal death investigation

Formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a human being; investigative 

information is considered with autopsy findings and adjunctive studies (if performed) to

determine the cause and manner of death 

2.27

medicolegal death investigation authority

Person or persons whose duty it is to perform medicolegal death investigations for a designated 

jurisdiction, and ensure certification of cause and manner of death; duties vary based on local 

enabling statutes

2.28

medicolegal death investigation office

Physical location of an agency (usually a medical examiner or coroner office) with the authority 

to perform medicolegal death investigations

2.29

medicolegal death investigation system

The statutorily established infrastructure (e.g., county coroner or state medical examiner) that 

exists to conduct medicolegal death investigations within a defined geographic area

2.30

medicolegal death investigator

Individual who has completed the requirements for Certification (Registry or Board) by an 

accredited credentialing body or performs medicolegal death investigations

2.31

natural (manner of death)
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Death due solely to natural disease

2.32

next of kin

Legally determined hierarchy of interested parties who have authority over the decedent

2.33

postmortem examination

Medical examination of a decedent; this may include autopsy, external examination, ancillary 

tests, evaluation of circumstances, review of medical records and other contextual information

2.34

private autopsy

Autopsy requested and authorized by next of kin

2.35

registry certified medicolegal death investigator

Medicolegal death investigator who has completed the requirements for Registry certification by 

the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators or equivalent

2.36

suicide (manner of death)

Death resulting from a volitional, self-inflicted act

2.37

undetermined (manner of death)

Manner of death used when the information pointing to one manner of death is no more 

compelling than another when the circumstances surrounding the death are unknown