Source: https://vacode.org/2016/32.1/8/1/32.1-283/
Timestamp: 2019-12-10 04:28:28
Document Index: 53118243

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 54']

Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to removal of organs, etc.; fees (§ 32.1-283)—Virginia Decoded - Virginia Decoded
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8 Postmortem Examinations And Services
1 Chief Medical Examiner And Postmortem Examinations
§ 32.1-283 Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to . . .
§ 32.1-283
Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to removal of organs, etc.; fees
B. Upon being notified of a death as provided in subsection A, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall take charge of the dead body and the Chief Medical Examiner shall cause an investigation into the cause and manner of death to be made and a full report, which shall include written findings, to be prepared. In order to facilitate the investigation, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is authorized to inspect and copy the pertinent medical records of the decedent whose death is the subject of the investigation. Full directions as to the nature, character, and extent of the investigation to be made in such cases shall be furnished each medical examiner appointed pursuant to § 32.1-282 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, together with appropriate forms for the required reports and instructions for their use. The facilities and personnel of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall be made available to any medical examiner investigating a death in accordance with this section. Reports and findings of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall be confidential and shall not under any circumstance be disclosed or made available for discovery pursuant to a court subpoena or otherwise, except as provided in this chapter. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner from releasing the cause or manner of death or prohibit disclosure of reports or findings to the parties in a criminal case.
C. A copy of each report pursuant to this section shall be delivered to the appropriate attorney for the Commonwealth and to the appropriate law-enforcement agency investigating the death. A copy of any such report regarding the death of a victim of a traffic accident shall be furnished upon request to the State Police and the Highway Safety Commission. In addition, a copy of any autopsy report concerning an individual receiving services in a state hospital or training center operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall be delivered to the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and to the State Inspector General. A copy of any autopsy report concerning a prisoner committed to the custody of the Director of the Department of Corrections shall, upon request of the Director of the Department of Corrections, be delivered to the Director of the Department of Corrections. A copy of any autopsy report concerning a prisoner committed to any local correctional facility shall be delivered to the local sheriff or superintendent. Upon request, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall release such autopsy report to the decedent’s attending physician and to the personal representative or executor of the decedent. At the discretion of the Chief Medical Examiner, an autopsy report may be released to the following persons in the following order of priority: (i) the spouse of the decedent, (ii) an adult son or daughter of the decedent, (iii) either parent of the decedent, (iv) an adult sibling of the decedent, (v) any other adult relative of the decedent in order of blood relationship, or (vi) any appropriate health facility quality assurance program.
D. For each investigation under this article, including the making of the required reports, the medical examiner appointed pursuant to § 32.1-282 shall receive a fee established by the Board within the limitations of appropriations for the purpose. Such fee shall be paid by the Commonwealth if the deceased is not a legal resident of the county or city in which his death occurred. In the event the deceased is a legal resident of the county or city in which his death occurred, such county or city shall be responsible for the fee up to $ 20. If the deceased is an individual who receives services in a state hospital or training center operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the fee shall be paid by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
Code 1950, §§ 32-31.17, 32-31.18, 32-31.20; 1950, p. 659; 1952, cc. 318, 705; 1960, c. 366; 1962, c. 366; 1968, c. 431; 1972, cc. 556, 741; 1974, c. 443; 1975, c. 475; 1978, c. 175; 1979, c. 711; 1981, c. 388; 1985, c. 228; 1993, c. 965; 2002, c. 203; 2003, c. 368; 2007, cc. 19, 868; 2008, cc. 287, 433; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2011, cc. 798, 871; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2014, c. 583.
If you’re reading this for anything important, you should double-check its accuracy—read § 32.1-283 on the official Code of Virginia website.
Garrett v. Majied (SCV, 06/07/96)
. . . the result of one of the causes listed in Code § 32.1-283, such as trauma, injury, or violence or . . .
Wiecking v. Allied Medical Supply Corp. (SCV, 04/20/90)
. . . from any of several causes, enumerated in Code § 32.1-283(A), is required by subsection (B) of that . . .
HB2393: Medical Examiner's reports; confidential except when death of prisoner committed in local facility.
HB3080: Medical examiner; to make an in-person investigation on scene or at morgue into cause of death. (failed)
HB216: Organs and tissue, transplantable; consent to remove. (passed)
HB278: Decedent; identification of body by next of kin. (passed)
SB354: Medical examiner's investigation; examination of body. (failed)
SB822: Autopsy reports; release to mental health facilities. (failed)
HB301: Autopsy; retention and disposal of specimens. (failed)
HB924: Chief Medical Examiner, Office of; powers and duties, medicolegal death examinations. (passed)
HB928: Chief Medical Examiner, Office of; powers and duties, medicolegal death examinations. (failed)
§ 32.1-263 Filing death certificates; medical certification; investigation by Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
§ 32.1-283.5 Adult Fatality Review Team; duties; membership; confidentiality; penalties; report; etc
§ 32.1-283.6 Local and regional adult fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity
§ 32.1-286 Exhumations
§ 32.1-309.2 Disposition of unclaimed dead body; how expenses paid
§ 32.1-309.3 Cremations and burials at sea
§ 54.1-2807 Other prohibited activities