Why Death Investigation Records Can Vary by Jurisdiction
The Institute of Medicine’s 2003 workshop described variation in how U.S. jurisdictions organize death investigations. Its opening remarks traced differences to state law and local administration.
That historical discussion helps explain why records from different offices may have different names and formats. When comparing case files, identify the office that produced each record and the function the record served.
Institute of Medicine, Medicolegal Death Investigation System (2003), p. 4
