NAAG Forensic / Resources
Resources
Plain answers from forensic pathologists.
Guides for families, attorneys and agencies to the questions we are asked most: private autopsies, second opinions, the deaths and injuries of children, and deaths in custody. Written and medically reviewed by NAAG’s physicians.
Medically reviewed by Evan W. Matshes, MD, FRCPC, D-ABP, Medical Director and Chief Forensic Pathologist · Updated
The specialtyWhat is forensic pathology? Medicine for the law, for the living and the dead.Forensic pathology is a medical subspecialty, not the study of the dead: board-certified physicians solving legal problems for the living and the dead.For familiesPrivate autopsy: a guide for families.How a private autopsy works: when to request one, who can authorize it, why timing matters, what you receive, and how to choose a qualified forensic pathologist.Second opinionsSecond opinions in forensic pathology: when, why and how.When a second forensic pathology opinion is warranted, its forms (records review, second autopsy, Deep Dive), what to gather and who can request one.Infants and childrenPediatric forensic pathology: child deaths and injuries.How child deaths and injuries should be examined: SUID and SUDC, alleged abusive head trauma, fractures, metabolic bone disease and genetics.Deaths in custodyDeaths in custody: the independent autopsy.What a complete in-custody death autopsy requires, why independence matters, what California AB 1108 changes in 2027, and how families can get one.For familiesThe first 24 hours after an unexpected death: what families should know.What happens after an unexpected death, who takes charge of your loved one, what to ask the coroner, and how to keep the option of a private autopsy open.
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Office6335 Ferris Square, Suite C
San Diego, CA 92121
San Diego, CA 92121
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