The manner of death refers to the circumstances surrounding a death, categorized by legal and medical authorities to provide clarity on how a death occurred. These classifications are crucial for both public health data and legal proceedings.
Classifications of Death Manners
There are several recognized classifications for the manner of death, which provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the context of a fatality. These classifications include:
| Manner of Death | Description |
|---|---|
| Natural | Death caused solely by disease, aging, or internal bodily malfunction, without external interference. |
| Accident | Death resulting from an unintentional and unforeseen injury or event, not caused by an intentional act. |
| Suicide | Death caused by an act of self-harm with the intent to end one's own life. |
| Homicide | Death caused by the actions of another person, regardless of intent (encompassing murder and manslaughter). |
| Undetermined | When the available information is insufficient to definitively classify the manner of death after investigation. |
| Pending | A temporary status assigned when an investigation is ongoing, and the final manner of death is awaiting determination. |
Authority in Determining Manner of Death
The authority to classify the manner of death is specifically granted to certain officials. In many jurisdictions, only medical examiners and coroners are authorized to use all of these manners of death when certifying a death. Other certifiers, such as attending physicians, typically use only "natural" or are required to refer the death to the medical examiner for further investigation and classification when the manner of death is not clearly natural. This ensures a thorough and accurate determination of the circumstances surrounding a death.
