The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is the statewide agency designated by law to investigate certain kinds of deaths in Maryland. According to the Maryland law (Health–General Article §5-301 and COMAR 10.35.01),
The OCME must look into deaths that are sudden or unexpected, happen because of an injury or accident, occur in unusual or suspicious ways, or when someone dies without a doctor to care for them.
Doctors at the OCME, called medical examiners, find out why and how a person died. The cause of death is what happened inside the body, such as a disease or an injury. The manner of death explains how it happened, such as natural, accident, homicide, suicide, or undetermined when more information is needed.
The OCME also helps protect the health and safety of people in Maryland. By studying deaths, the OCME can find patterns of injury, discover new diseases, or identify dangerous trends like unsafe drugs or infections that might harm others. The OCME works with state and federal partners to share this information and help keep our communities safe.
Along with the medicolegal responsibility to determine cause and manner of death, OCME serves a critical public health role by identifying injury trends and emerging infectious diseases that may pose risks to Marylanders.
