Pennsylvania § 13918 Coroner's investigation

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 13918 — Coroner's investigation

Pennsylvania § 13918

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 16COUNTIES

PartPART IV

Ch. 139CORONER

Subch.GENERAL PROVISIONS

This text of Pennsylvania § 13918 (Coroner's investigation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

16 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 13918 (2026).

Text

(a)Duties.--The coroner having a view of the body shall investigate the facts and circumstances concerning a death that appears to have happened within the county, notwithstanding where the cause of the death may have occurred, for the purpose of determining if an autopsy or inquest should be conducted in the following cases:

(1)A sudden death not caused by a readily recognizable disease or, if the cause of death cannot be properly certified, by a physician on the basis of prior recent medical attendance.

(2)A death occurring under suspicious circumstances, including if alcohol, a drug or another toxic substance may have had a direct bearing on the outcome.

(3)A death occurring as a result of violence or trauma, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal or accidental, including a death

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(a) Duties.--The coroner having a view of the body shall investigate the facts and circumstances concerning a death that appears to have happened within the county, notwithstanding where the cause of the death may have occurred, for the purpose of determining if an autopsy or inquest should be conducted in the following cases:

(1) A sudden death not caused by a readily recognizable disease or, if the cause of death cannot be properly certified, by a physician on the basis of prior recent medical attendance.

(2) A death occurring under suspicious circumstances, including if alcohol, a drug or another toxic substance may have had a direct bearing on the outcome.

(3) A death occurring as a result of violence or trauma, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal or accidental, including a death due to mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical or radiational injury, drowning, cave-in or subsidence.

(4) A death in which trauma, chemical injury, drug overdose or reaction to a drug or medication or medical treatment was a primary or secondary, direct or indirect, contributory, aggravating or precipitating cause of death.

(5) A perioperative death in which the death is not readily explainable on the basis of prior disease.

(6) A death in which the body is unidentified or unclaimed.

(7) A death known or suspected to be due to contagious disease and constituting a public hazard.

(8) A death occurring in prison or a penal institution or while in the custody of the police.

(9) A death of an individual whose body is to be cremated, buried at sea or otherwise disposed of so as to be unavailable for examination.

(10) A sudden and unexplained infant death.

(11) A stillbirth.

(b) Purpose.--The purpose of an investigation under subsection (a) shall be to determine all of the following:

(1) The cause and manner of the death.

(2) If there is sufficient reason for the coroner to believe that the death may have resulted from a criminal act or criminal neglect of an individual other than the deceased.

(c) Requirements.--As part of an investigation under subsection (a), the coroner shall determine the identity of the deceased and notify the next of kin of the deceased.