An inquest is an investigation into the cause and circumstances of a death. Laws vary from state to state and the circumstances under which an inquest may be required are usually specified in a state’s statutes.

For example, if a person dies in a county with a medical examiner, the medical examiner (or authorized deputy) may be required to conduct an inquest under the these and other circumstances:

• when a person dies within 24 hours after being admitted to a hospital or institution, or dies in prison or jail;

• when a person is killed, or dies from an unnatural cause of death (unless executed by the state for a crime), or dies without one or more good witnesses;

• when the body or a body part of a person is found, and the cause or circumstances of death are unknown;

• when the circumstances of the death of any person lead to suspicion the person died by unlawful means;

• when any person commits suicide, or the circumstances of the person's death lead to suspicion the person committed suicide;

• when a person dies without having been attended by a duly licensed and practicing physician, and the local health officer or registrar required to report the cause of death does not know the cause of death;

• when the person is a child and the death is required to be reported by law; and

• when a person dies who has been attended immediately preceding death by a duly licensed and practicing physician or physicians, and such physician or physicians are not certain as to the cause of death and are unable to certify with certainty the cause of death.

In Louisiana, an inquest into the cause and circumstances of a death is typically conducted by the parish coroner or medical examiner. The Louisiana Revised Statutes (LRS) outline the conditions under which an inquest is necessary. These conditions include deaths that occur under suspicious circumstances, deaths without witnesses, deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission to a hospital or institution, deaths in prison or jail, unattended deaths, and deaths where the cause is unknown or uncertain even if attended by a physician. Additionally, the coroner is involved in cases of suspected suicide, when a body or body part is found and the cause of death is unknown, and in certain cases involving the death of a child. The coroner has the authority to investigate these deaths, determine the cause and manner of death, and may require an autopsy to be performed. The specific statutes governing these procedures can be found in the LRS Title 13, which deals with coroners, and Title 33, which pertains to the public health and safety regulations.