2009 Statistics

2009 Annual Statistics

The total number of deaths reported to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office in 2009 was 1,727. This represents 30% of the estimated 5,827 deaths that occurred in Pierce County in 2009. Each reported case received basic investigative review including review by a forensic pathologist. Jurisdiction was declined in 745 cases. Jurisdiction was assumed in the remaining 982 cases and further investigation was conducted. Postmortem examinations by forensic pathologists (autopsies and external examinations, including non-human remains) were conducted in 710 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 2 such natural death cases in 2009.

2009 Statistical Table

Manner of Death	Total	Autopsy	External Exam	Medical History	Private Signer	Military Case	Male	Female
Accident Drug	115	111	3	1	0	0	66	49
Accident Fall	110	12	17	80	0	1	54	56
Accident General	35	31	3	1	0	0	25	10
Accident Industrial	2	2	0	0	0	0	2	0
Accident Traffic	65	57	0	7	0	1	53	12
Facility Use Case	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	1
Homicide	40	38	0	0	0	2	24	16
Jurisdiction Declined	745	0	0	0	745	0	408	337
Natural	436	175	92	40	128	1	261	175
Non-Human Remains	23	0	23	0	0	0	0	0
Suicide	102	80	18	1	0	3	78	24
Undetermined	28	23	2	0	1	2	19	7
Undetermined Infant	24	23	0	0	0	1	16	8
TOTALS	1,727	552	158	129	876	11	1,007	695

2009 Statistical Information

	Other Statistical Information
697	Bodies transported to the office
3	Bodies unidentified after examination
592	Cases where toxicology was performed
0	Exhumations
1	Presumed death
0	Partial autopsies
6	Correctional facility related death
11	Law enforcement related death
54	Organ and tissue harvesting for donation
613	Scene visits by Medical Examiner or Medical Investigator
66	Unclaimed bodies
48	Unclaimed and indigent cases