It's true that medical examiners deal largely with the deceased. They investigate deaths, especially those that are sudden, unexplained and caused by violence. They also decide whether a death is due to natural causes, foul play, or was preventable. But the work of medical examiners also has a major impact on the living, Hanzlick said. Their findings are used as evidence in criminal investigations and in courts of law.
Survivors rely on autopsies to bring closure to their loved ones' deaths.
It is common for families to need autopsy results to get insurance benefits, to pay for a funeral or to make a house payment. Because medical examiners straddle the line between law enforcement and public health, their work also helps determine whether there's been an outbreak of infectious disease such as meningitis or whether a bad batch of illegal drugs has made its way into the community. Perhaps if society at large understood these roles, says Jonathan L. Arden, chief medical examiner in Washington, D.C., funding shortages wouldn't be so chronic. It's a perspective people don't automatically take. You think of me examining dead people and never think of me assisting people in times of need.