Richardson Died of Blunt Impact to Head

Following Natasha Richardson's death last night, the NYC medical examiner's office performed an autopsy and announced the actress died from an "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head." The NY Times looks at how a seemingly innocent spill on a bunny hill could have killed the actress, who walked back to her room joking about her fall on Monday, and turned away an ambulance that was originally sent for her by ski patrollers. Sadly, the Times talks to a doctor who assumes "The most likely injuries would have been treatable had they been detected promptly." While funeral arrangements are being made at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home, Playbill reports that "marquees of the Broadway theatres will be dimmed [tonight] at 8 PM for one minute."

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By Jen Carlson in News on March 19, 2009 4:04 PM

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dadoc

The duty of the ME is to establish the cause and manner of death. The "manner" of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural, or "therapeautic misadventure" (The Docs F'd Up). The "cause" is the proximate physical/chemical/etc. Such as "Intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to blunt trauma to the head". There are laws that define when a case must be referred to the ME, and in virtually all accidental, homicide, suicide & "Thera", the ME must perform the post by law. No preference, it's the law of the state. Regular Joe gets the same treatment.

mellow_fellow

Why did the NYC ME perform an autopsy? I'm wondering if this autopsy was performed because the deceased was a beloved celebrity and if the City would bear the expense of an autopsy on a regular Joe who died under similar circumstances.

gimme

really?

gimme

really?

jaycjay

Really, because only 30 minutes ago the Times had -- at that same URL -- an article speculating on other possible causes, such as a neck injury that caused an artery dissection. Similar articles have been on several other news sites. This is the first confirmation that it was directly a head injury.