If someones death appears to be natural, why is the medical examiner involved?
The medical examiner may take jurisdiction over an apparently natural death if : 1) the death was unexpected and no medical cause can be determined; 2) the decedent was not under the care of a physician for any disease which could reasonably be expected to cause death; or 3) the death might be a public health hazard. Deaths occurring under circumstances which are not clear, or to persons who are at risk for possible violence, may also be medical examiner cases. By law, the deaths of all DC wards including children and Mentally Retarded and Developmentally Disabled (MRDD) persons are medical examiner cases.
