Coroner’s Lab Criticized for Delayed Death Reports

The grand jury Tuesday faulted the Orange County Coroner’s toxicology lab for taking too long in processing autopsy reports, stating in a new report that delays can cause hardship for bereaved families.

“The average time taken to produce toxicology reports is about eight weeks at present,” the Orange County Grand Jury found. That compares unfavorably with the San Diego Toxicology Lab, for instance, which is more than twice as busy as Orange County’s but produces results in half the time, according to the report.

“This means that the next of kin must wait at least two months to gain access to the deceased’s checking accounts, transfer title to property or collect on life insurance policies,” said a press release accompanying the report. “During this period, bills continue to come in, but often there are little or no resources with which to pay them, thus adding to the family trauma.”

A spokesman for the coroner’s office said he could not comment on how long toxicology reports take in Orange County. In most cases, though, Cullen Ellinburgh said, death certificates are available almost immediately and can be used for many legal purposes, including access to checking accounts and transfer of property.

“I know it can be difficult,” Ellinburgh said, “but quite often, certified copies of pending death certificates aren’t used as extensively as they could be.”

The grand jury recommends that a “joint work-flow efficiency study” be conducted by the toxicology lab in conjunction with an outside consulting firm to reduce the average process for toxicology reports to four weeks. According to the report, about half the autopsy cases in Orange County now require toxicology reports.

The county sheriff-coroner’s office has 90 days to respond to the recommendation, said Bruce Johnson, a grand jury spokesman.