Statistics

2008 Annual Statistics

The total number of deaths reported to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office in 2008 was 1,765. This represents 30% of the 5,842 deaths that occurred in Pierce County in 2008. Each reported case received basic investigative review including review by a forensic pathologist. Jurisdiction was declined in 706 cases. Jurisdiction was assumed in the remaining 1,059 cases and further investigation was conducted. Postmortem examinations by forensic pathologists (autopsies and external examinations, including non-human remains) were conducted in 801 cases. The pathologist were able to 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 6 such natural death cases in 2008.

2008 Statistical Table

Manner of Death	Total	Autopsy	External Exam	Medical History	Private Signer	Military Case	Male	Female
Accident Drug	125	119	3	1	0	2	63	62
Accident Fall	115	12	10	92	0	0	49	66
Accident General	50	43	4	2	0	1	32	18
Accident Industrial	3	3	0	0	0	0	3	0
Accident Traffic	83	73	4	5	0	1	59	24
Facility Use Case	6	0	0	0	0	0	1	5
Homicide	33	33	0	0	0	0	28	5
Jurisdiction Declined	706	0	0	0	706	0	380	325
Natural	480	186	151	29	113	1	318	162
Non-Human Remains	14	0	14	0	0	0	0	0
Suicide	124	95	26	0	0	3	100	24
Undetermined	15	14	0	1	0	0	10	5
Undetermined Infant	11	11	0	0	0	0	7	4
TOTALS	1,765	589	212	130	819	8	1,050	700

Statistical Information

	Other Statistical Information
793	Bodies transported to the office
0	Bodies unidentified after examination
641	Cases where toxicology was performed
0	Exhumations
1	Presumed death
0	Partial autopsies
12	Correctional facility related death
3	Law enforcement related death
670	Scene visits by Medical Examiner or Medical Investigator
100	Unclaimed bodies
46	Unclaimed and indigent cases