Statistics

2006 Annual Statistics

The total number of deaths reported to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office in 2006 was 1,627. This represents 30% of the 5,486 deaths that occurred in Pierce County in 2006. Each reported case received basic investigative review. Jurisdiction was declined in 862 cases. Jurisdiction was assumed in the remaining 765 cases and further investigation was conducted. Postmortem examinations by Forensic Pathologists (autopsies and external inspections, including non-human remains) were conducted in 449 cases. The pathologist were able to review and certify the remaining cases following investigation and medical history review. The determination of manner of death is made by the Medical Examiner for death certification purposes based on the preponderance of available evidence.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office serves as a regional autopsy facility, available for use under contract to hospital based pathologists for medical (non-forensic) cases. Facility use autopsies were performed at the Medical Examiner's facility in 11 such natural death cases in 2006.

2006 Statistical Table

Manner of Death	Total	Autopsy	Inspection	Case Review	Private Signer	Male	Female
Accident Drug Caused	71	69	0	2	0	40	31
Accident Fall	81	10	0	35	36	41	40
Accident General	41	33	2	4	2	33	8
Accident Industrial	5	5	0	0	0	5	0
Accident Traffic	65	57	0	3	5	48	17
Facility Use Case	11	0	0	0	11	8	3
Homicide	43	41	0	0	2	35	8
Natural	287	72	8	125	82	195	92
Non-Jurisdiction Cases	862	0	0	0	862	462	400
Presumed Death	1	0	0	1	0	1	0
Suicide	96	93	0	3	0	82	14
Undetermined	18	12	1	5	0	9	8
Undetermined SIDS	10	10	0	0	0	7	3
TOTALS	1,591	402	11	178	1,000	965	623

	Statistical Information
427	Bodies transported to the office
0	Bodies unidentified after examination
288	Cases where toxicology was performed
0	Exhumations
0	Hospital autopsies retained under Medical Examiner jurisdiction
36	Non-human remains
21	Organ and tissue harvesting for donation
0	Partial autopsies
326	Scene visits by Medical Examiners or Medical Investigators
114	Unclaimed bodies
55	Indigent cremation/burial cases