Forensic pathology is a sub-specialty of pathology (a sub-specialty of medicine) involved in the investigation and examination of deaths due to sudden or unusual circumstances.  In Utah these deaths are defined by the Utah Medical Examiner Act Utah Code Section 26-4-7.

Forensics pathology involves the application of dissection and other techniques, diagnostic testing and the understanding of pathology in general.  This will aid the medical examiner in the diagnosis and interpretation of disease processes and/or injuries.  These findings are then viewed in conjunction with information from a scene investigation, the medical history of the individual and other ancillary tests. Although the majority of this training is applied to the dead, expertise in this field is occasionally applied to the living.

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