The coroner is a person who is responsible for finding out, through an independent inquiry or ‘inquest’, how a person has died if it has not been due to natural causes.
Through an inquest the coroner, who is usually an experienced lawyer of doctor, will be trying to clarify who the deceased is, where and when they died and what events or circumstances may have contributed to the death. Often this may involve a medical examination of the body – a post mortem. They will also try to gather as much information as possible about the deceased’s lifestyle and working conditions to see if anything relating to these may have contributed to the death.
Death due to mesothelioma
As mesothelioma is often linked to the exposure to asbestos, if someone dies from the disease a coroner would try to find out if the death was due to the deceased being exposed to asbestos in a workplace or in the environment. No matter what the cause of death is, however, the coroner would not be trying to find someone to blame for the death.
What happens when a death occurs and a coroner becomes involved?
A coroner will usually have been notified of the death by the deceased GP, the hospital where the death occurred or even the police, if no medical professionals were present at the time of death. Only then will the coroner contact the relatives to explain their role.
At such a sensitive time coroners know only too well the distress and confusion that loved ones often face when they find out a coroner has been appointed. It is for this reason that many coroners will visit relatives in their own home to confirm details about the deceased and explain in more detail what is to happen. This can include reasons why a post mortem may be required and the timescales involved.
Often an inquest is then officially ‘opened’ soon after the death but at this stage the relatives and witnesses are not usually required to attend. Instead, the case will go on a court list ready for when the coroner has gathered more detailed information about the deceased and their death. At this stage the coroner will also send an interim death certificate to the family, free of charge, so they can sort out any financial matters in relation to the deceased estate, if required.
Once the actual inquest takes place, sometimes weeks or even months after the death, the coroner should have a clearer picture of what may have led to the death and be able to obtain further information from witnesses he/she calls to the inquest. At this point the relatives of the deceased may also, through a legal representative, ask the witnesses questions.
The verdict
Once a Coroner has all the information he/she needs, one of three verdicts will usually be delivered where mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos is involved, as follows:
- Industrial Disease: Where mesothelioma has been caused due to exposure to asbestos at work.
- Open Verdict: Where exposure to asbestos cannot be linked to any one place.
- Misadventure: Where it is unclear what the source of the exposure has been.
Once the verdict is announced and the case closed, the Coroner will then issue the death certificate to the family and will no longer be required to investigate the death.