Office of Chief Medical Examiner - Investigation of a Reportable Death

HomeAbout OCME - Authority and Responsibilities - Language Access PlanGeneral Services - Investigation of a Reportable Death - Identification - Autopsy - Mortuary Services - Department of Forensic Biology - Special OperationsINFORMATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC - Autopsy - Death Certificate - Personal Effects - Burial/Cremation - Funeral Directors - Sudden Infant Death SyndromeFORENSIC SCIENCES TRAINING PROGRAM - Courses - Applicant Eligibility - Training Course ApplicationFAQJobs at OCMEPublic AffairsFREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAWContact OCME - Map - Email the Chief Medical Examiner

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	Police precincts and hospitals throughout the City telephone a Report of Death to OCME’s Communications Unit; the clerk on duty records basic information concerning the circumstances of injury or death, and of hospitalization. The clerk then notifies an OCME MedicoLegal Investigator (MLI) assigned to the borough in which the death is reported. The MLI’s responsibility is to inquire further into the circumstances and to determine whether the death falls within OCME jurisdiction. If the death is attributable to natural causes, the MLI may designate the physician who recently treated the decedent as the person to issue a Death Certificate. If the death falls within OCME jurisdiction, the MLI will respond to the scene and obtain additional facts from family, friends, and police. If there are reasons for further examination or autopsy, the MLI will direct that the body be transported to an OCME facility. When death has occurred in a hospital, a field investigation is generally not conducted; instead, the investigation routinely consists of a review of hospital records with the reporting physician.