In mortuary law, actual custody of the body is the physical possession or control of a human body. Actual custody is distinct from the legal authority to decide how the body will be disposed of, such as burial, cremation, or donation for medical research.
An advance directive is a legal document that takes effect if someone is unable to make decisions due to illness or incapacity. Several different types of advance directives exist. Some, such as a living will, give instructions on which measures can be used to prolong life. Others simply name a surrogate decision-maker for medical questions. Different
As noted in the Supreme Court of New Mexico case Morris v. Brandenburg, assisted suicide is the act of actively aiding other people in the taking of their own lives. Physician-assisted suicide, a subset of assisted suicide, involves the assistance of a physician.
Cause of death is the series of events leading to the injury or disease that triggers an individual's fatal end. See: WHO
A civil case is a non-criminal legal dispute between private parties, typically involving rights and obligations under the U.S. Constitution, federal law, state law, or common law.
COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is a federal statute, passed in 1985 that provides employees and their families the right to continue group health benefits under an
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, is a federal statute, passed in 1985, that provides employees and their families the right to continue group health benefits&
A controlled substance is a drug, substance, or immediate precursor defined by the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Under the Controlled Substances Act, it is unlawful, inter alia, for any person to manufacture, sell, prescribe, distribute, dispense, administer, possess, have under their control, abandon, or transport a controlled substance, except as expressly provided by the Act.
Death is defined as the ending of heartbeat and respiration or brain function. This cessation must be irreversible and determined in accordance with accepted medical standards.