FAQ Category: Medical Examiner

  • What if I can’t afford a funeral home?

    Each county has a social services indigent burial services for those who are unable to afford funeral arrangements. Be prepared to provide financial, insurance, etc. information when appealing to this service. You may contact them: Other Important Phone Numbers

  • How do I find a funeral home?

    Personnel from the medical examiner’s office are not permitted to recommend a funeral home to families. Funeral homes are listed in the phone book. Contacting other family members and friends can usually result in some guidance for the family

  • How do I obtain a copy of the Death Certificate?

    Contact your funeral home or contact the Office of Vital Statistics either at the St. Johns County Vital Statistic Office (or county in which the death occurred) or at the State Vital Statistic Office

  • How do I obtain an autopsy report?

    Copies of autopsy reports are provided upon request. Autopsy reports can be requested by written letter which must include the name of the decedent and the date of death. Attach a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Office of the Medical Examiner, 4501 Avenue A, St. Augustine, Florida 32095 Please Note: Autopsy reports for homicides cannot…

  • Why wasn’t an autopsy performed on my loved one after your office accepted the case? Doesn’t an autopsy have to be performed on every Medical Examiner case?

    The Medical Examiner has the discretion to perform whatever examinations he deems necessary on a case by case basis. On deaths by apparent natural causes without an attending physician or traumatic deaths where the decedent has been hospitalized for a certain period of time, a forensic autopsy is not necessary. In such cases, medical records…

  • Why was an autopsy not performed on my loved one?

    Often people have loved ones who pass away, and they do not understand why an autopsy wasn’t performed. The primary reason is that it did not fall under the medical examiner’s jurisdiction, meaning that it was an apparent natural death with an attending physician to sign the death certificate. Sometimes, however, despite this, family members…

  • Will the autopsy or ‘pending’ results affect funeral arrangements?

    The performance of an autopsy should not in any way affect a funeral or viewing of the body. Funeral directors and pathologists have been working together for many years so that the body can be readily embalmed and prepared for the service.After the examination, the body can be released to the funeral home of the…

  • What is a forensic autopsy?

    The forensic autopsy is an internal and external examination of the body after death using surgical techniques to determine the presence of an injury and / or to identify any disease that may have caused or contributed to the death. It is performed by a forensic pathologist, a medical doctor specially trained in this type…

  • What is the normal process of a forensic death investigation?

    In many cases when there is a death, at least two jurisdictions are involved. The police or law enforcement agencies involved have jurisdiction over the scene and its associated physical evidence. The medical examiner is responsible for the body of the deceased and any physical evidence/property in direct contact with the body. With the exception…

  • What type of cases is the Medical Examiner’s Office required to investigate?

    State statute dictates the types of cases in which the medical examiner will become involved. The specific statute reads as follows:406.11 Examinations, investigations, and autopsies. In any of the following circumstances involving the death of a human being, the medical examiner of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found shall…