Organizations

When a Death Inside Your Institution Demands an Outside Review

A death in custody, a resident death in a care facility, a patient death tied to a sentinel event, or a workplace fatality all carry the same risk: an internal review can be seen, fairly or not, as self-protective. Insurance carriers face a related problem when a death claim hinges on cause or manner of death findings they can't independently verify. In each case, an outside forensic consultant reviewing the autopsy findings, medical records, incident reports, and investigative file gives your organization a independent, evidence-based review — whether that position confirms your internal findings or surfaces something your team missed.

The Range of Institutional Reviews We Handle

Engagements with organizations typically fall into a few categories: death-in-custody reviews for correctional and detention facilities, patient or resident death reviews for hospitals and long-term care providers, workplace fatality reviews for employers, and independent review of the record in claims involving a death, for insurers and other parties. Each review draws on the same core method — a careful read of the police report, autopsy and toxicology findings, scene documentation, and medical or institutional records — adapted to the standards and stakes relevant to your sector. Death-in-custody reviews are subject to NorthStar's conflict policy. NorthStar reviews the death investigation record. It does not evaluate the standard of medical care. Reviews connected to a health system's internal quality review should be arranged through the organization's counsel.