Why does an autopsy include an examination of all the body systems and not just the suspected cause of death? for example, if a victim has massive head trauma from an automobile accident, why is a complete autopsy performed, including a toxicology report?

Answer:

Autopsy is an internal/external examination of the body to determine the cause of death.

Explanation:

"Autopsy" is carried out to find the exact "reason" of death by examining the body. It is possible that there is some hidden cause of death even in case of an accident, so autopsy is done. Also, a person dying of a "car accident" could have died because of the heart attack or some other organ failure.

So, it is possible that the suspected cause of death is incorrect and exact reason is something else. Every aspect of death needs to be analysed.