NAME Classification
Definition
The National Association of Medical Examiners five-class manner-of-death taxonomy: Natural, Accidental, Suicide, Homicide, and Undetermined. The internationally dominant framework for manner-of-death certification, used by US medical examiners and widely adopted or referenced internationally.
- Categories
- Natural, Accidental, Suicide, Homicide, Undetermined
- Source
- National Association of Medical Examiners
- Scope
- Manner-of-death certification
- Adoption
- Dominant framework in the US, widely referenced internationally
Common questions
How does manner of death under NAME differ from cause of death?+
Cause of death is the specific injury or disease that led to death, such as a gunshot wound or myocardial infarction, while manner of death is the broader circumstance classification, one of the five NAME categories, describing how that cause came about. A single cause, such as a gunshot wound, could fall under accident, suicide, or homicide depending on circumstances.
When would a medical examiner use 'Undetermined' instead of choosing among the other four categories?+
Undetermined is used when the available evidence does not allow the examiner to reasonably distinguish between two or more of the other manners, such as when intent cannot be established from scene, autopsy, and investigative findings, rather than as a default for any unclear case.
Is the NAME classification legally binding on courts or insurers?+
No, it is a medical certification framework used on death certificates, and while courts, insurers, and other parties often rely on it, they are not legally bound by the medical examiner's manner-of-death determination and may reach different conclusions using additional evidence.
Related terms
- BNSS § 194
- Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (replacing CrPC § 174). Requires a police inquest for deaths that are sudden,...
- ICD-10 Chapter XX (V01-Y98)
- The External Causes of Morbidity and Mortality chapter of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. These codes capture the circumstances and...
- Mechanism of Death
- The physiological derangement through which the cause of death produced the dying process. Examples include exsanguination, asphyxia, sepsis, and cardiac arrhythmia. Multiple...
- Open Verdict / Undetermined
- The UK Coroner's conclusion (open verdict, or narrative conclusion) where evidence is insufficient for a more specific conclusion. Functionally equivalent to the...
- Underlying Cause of Death
- The disease or injury that initiated the chain of events that led to death, as defined in the WHO ICD coding conventions....