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Information for Physicians

To report a death, call the 24/7 Hotline 845-431-9177.

Physicians may be required to report a death to the Medical Examiner if the death occurs in unexplained or sudden circumstances, including:

  • Any sudden death of a person in apparent good health (adult or child).
  • Deaths which occur unattended by a physician and where no physician can be found to certify the cause of death.
  • Any death which may constitute a threat to public health.
  • All deaths due to:
    • Criminal violence
    • Criminal neglect or resulting from an unlawful act
    • Suicides.
  • All accidents (vehicular, construction, recreational, home) and all cases in which a traumatic injury may have contributed to death, regardless of when the trauma occurred.
  • Stillbirths and neonatal deaths when there is a history of maternal drug abuse or trauma, and fetuses born unattended by a physician or midwife.
  • All deaths caused by alcohol abuse, drug abuse, chemical overdose, or poisoning.
  • All deaths in custody (persons in jail, prison or detention, persons in police custody, and hospitalized prisoners, regardless of the duration of hospitalization).
  • All deaths due to disease or injury resulting from employment.
  • Any death which occurs under suspicious or unusual circumstance.
  • When there is no legal next of kin or court-appointed guardian.

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