ABSTRACT
Accidental deaths encompass a wide range of deaths, including drug overdoses (ODs), motor vehicle accidents, falls, fires, deaths at work or during a medical procedure, and drowning. Each type demands a different level of forensic investigation and some require the mandatory reporting of the event to outside agencies. Among the many types of cases investigated by an ME/C office, accidental deaths as a group represent the largest percentage of the annual workload of most offices. In general, an accidental death is one that occurs from non-natural processes, that is noncriminal, and that is not selfinduced. Accidental deaths are those caused by activities conducted in a manner that, according to the individual’s reasoning, would not result in death.
