Kentucky Statutes 72.025 – Circumstances requiring post-mortem examination to be performed by coroner
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Coroners shall require a post-mortem examination to be performed in the following circumstances:
(1) When the death of a human being appears to be caused by homicide or violence; (2) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of suicide;
(3) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of the presence of drugs or poisons in the body;
(4) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of a motor vehicle accident and the operator of the motor vehicle left the scene of the accident or the body was found in or near a roadway or railroad;
(5) When the death of a human being occurs while the person is in a state mental institution or mental hospital when there is no previous medical history to explain the death, or while the person is in police custody, a jail or penal institution;
(6) When the death of a human being occurs in a motor vehicle accident and when an external examination of the body does not reveal a lethal traumatic injury;
(7) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of a fire or explosion; (8) When the death of a child appears to indicate child abuse prior to the death;
(9) When the manner of death appears to be other than natural; (10) When human skeletonized remains are found;
(11) When post-mortem decomposition of a human corpse exists to the extent that external examination of the corpse cannot rule out injury or where the circumstances of death cannot rule out the commission of a crime;
(12) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of drowning;
(13) When the death of an infant appears to be caused by sudden infant death syndrome in that the infant has no previous medical history to explain the death;
(14) When the death of a human being occurs as a result of an accident;
(15) When the death of a human being occurs under the age of forty (40) and there is no past medical history to explain the death;
(16) When the death of a human being occurs at the work site and there is no apparent cause of death such as an injury or when industrial toxics may have contributed to the cause of death;
(17) When the body is to be cremated and there is no past medical history to explain the death;
(18) When the death of a human being is sudden and unexplained; and
(19) When the death of a human being occurs and the decedent is not receiving treatment by a licensed physician and there is no ascertainable medical history to indicate the cause of death.
Effective: July 15, 1998
History: Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998. — Amended
1986 Ky. Acts ch. 316, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1986. — Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch.
195, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1982.
(1) When the death of a human being appears to be caused by homicide or violence; (2) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of suicide;
Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 72.025
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Post-mortem examination: means a physical examination of the body by a medical examiner or by a coroner or deputy coroner who has been certified by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and may include an autopsy performed by a pathologist. See Kentucky Statutes 72.405
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
- Treatment: when used in a criminal justice context, means targeted interventions
that focus on criminal risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
(3) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of the presence of drugs or poisons in the body;
(4) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of a motor vehicle accident and the operator of the motor vehicle left the scene of the accident or the body was found in or near a roadway or railroad;
(5) When the death of a human being occurs while the person is in a state mental institution or mental hospital when there is no previous medical history to explain the death, or while the person is in police custody, a jail or penal institution;
(6) When the death of a human being occurs in a motor vehicle accident and when an external examination of the body does not reveal a lethal traumatic injury;
(7) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of a fire or explosion; (8) When the death of a child appears to indicate child abuse prior to the death;
(9) When the manner of death appears to be other than natural; (10) When human skeletonized remains are found;
(11) When post-mortem decomposition of a human corpse exists to the extent that external examination of the corpse cannot rule out injury or where the circumstances of death cannot rule out the commission of a crime;
(12) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of drowning;
(13) When the death of an infant appears to be caused by sudden infant death syndrome in that the infant has no previous medical history to explain the death;
(14) When the death of a human being occurs as a result of an accident;
(15) When the death of a human being occurs under the age of forty (40) and there is no past medical history to explain the death;
(16) When the death of a human being occurs at the work site and there is no apparent cause of death such as an injury or when industrial toxics may have contributed to the cause of death;
(17) When the body is to be cremated and there is no past medical history to explain the death;
(18) When the death of a human being is sudden and unexplained; and
(19) When the death of a human being occurs and the decedent is not receiving treatment by a licensed physician and there is no ascertainable medical history to indicate the cause of death.
Effective: July 15, 1998
History: Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998. — Amended
1986 Ky. Acts ch. 316, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1986. — Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch.
195, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1982.