Death Cases Which Must Be Reported

  • Deaths meeting the requisite criteria must be immediately reported to the Medical Examiner. In the event that the injury causing the death occurred in another county, the St. Croix County Medical Examiner must be notified and would refer the case investigation to the outside county.
  • All physicians and other persons having knowledge of the death of any person who has died under any of the following circumstances shall immediately report such death to the Medical Examiner:
    • All deaths in which there are unexplained, unusual or suspicious circumstances
    • All homicides, suicides, accidents or unnatural deaths
    • All deaths due to poisoning or overdose, whether homicidal, suicidal, or accidental
    • All deaths following accidents, whether the injury is or was not the primary cause of death (examples: quadriplegia due to trauma or an accident)
    • When there is no physician or accredited practitioner, who has attended or treated the decedent within 30 days preceding death
    • When the physician caring for the decedent refuses to sign the death certificate
    • All deaths that occur in a hospital emergency room setting
    • Maternal deaths due to abortion
    • Deaths of inmates of public institutions, who have not been hospitalized for organic illness;
    • Deaths of persons in custody of law enforcement officers
    • Deaths that occur in association with, or as a result of diagnostic, therapeutic, or anesthetic procedures
    • Deaths due to neglect
    • All Fetus of 20 weeks or older
    • Deaths of persons in which a fracture of a major bone (femur, tibia, pelvis, skull, etc.) has occurred within the past six months
    • Deaths following traumatic head bleeds
    • Deaths occurring outside of a hospital or nursing home, and not enrolled in a palliative care program under the care of a physician
    • Occupational related deaths attributable entirely or in part to external work place factors
    • Any death in which there is doubt as to whether it is a Medical Examiner's case should be reported and discussed with a Medical Examiner's Forensic Investigator
    • Sudden and unexpected deaths occurring in infants or children under the age of 2, under circumstances not explained by a pre-existing medical problem, must be referred to the Medical Examiner