We obtain the coroner reports, and we read them for you

What the reports contain

• The coroner’s investigation report, scene findings, identification, notifications and circumstances
• The autopsy report, findings, cause of death and manner of death
• Toxicology results, alcohol, prescription and illicit substances
• Supporting photographs and diagrams, where they exist

Why families struggle to get it

Reports take weeks and sometimes months to finalize, particularly where toxicology is pending. Offices are not uniform about what they release, to whom, or on what form. Some require proof of next-of-kin status.

Where the death is tied to a criminal case, expect far longer. Records held as part of an active prosecution are routinely withheld for six months to a year, and sometimes until the case concludes. That is normal. It is also not a reason to wait, because the civil deadlines keep running while the records sit.

The result is that grieving families are told to call back, repeatedly, by an office that is not trying to be unhelpful but is not set up to explain itself.

What we do

We make the request, acquire the reports, and read them for you. That lets us convey the contents in a respectful and humane manner. There is no charge for this and it does not require you to hire the firm.

These reports should not be read by the friends and family of the person who died. They are clinical documents, written by investigators for investigators, and they describe in plain terms things no one who loved that person needs in their memory. We will read them and tell you what matters, at whatever level of detail you want and none beyond it.

If you do hire us, the reports become the starting point, not the conclusion. Coroner findings are the beginning of the investigation, and they are sometimes wrong in ways that matter.

Call (951) 354-5700 and tell us the county, the name, and the approximate date. We will take it from there.