Do I have any legal rights to find out how my grandfather died?

My grandfather died of some undisclosed or otherwise confusing/clouded conditions of cancer, but no one in my family seems to know what exactly killed him. My parents are very bright people, and you would think they would know what was his cause of death, but they don't really know.

It's been almost twenty years since he died. My father says "bone cancer." My mother says "liver cancer" or possibly kidney. No one knows, which I find unbelievable. But it's imperative to me to know, and to know how to request any documents that might help.

Do I, as his grandson, have any legal rights to request his medical records?

Even if the death certificates in your state are restricted to researchers like me (even cousins), access is always given to immediate family, direct line relatives like yourself. What state are you in?

fsc <-- genealogist

Is Reprehensor with you yet?

Pet the dog for me and scritch the kitty

I got a free set of knives from Central Market for Christmas

Happy late holly-days!

Not quite yet. The first week of r's 2 week notice is up today! Barring any unforeseen complications (like the year's big ice storm falling on that day), he's hitting the road next Thursday. Could be up here as early as next Saturday!

I'm very excited. Fargo's ready to see his dad again. I tell him that soon daddy will be back, and his ears just perk up so cute. He's like, "Daddy? WHERE??"

I've learned that the two things I miss most in the whole world are Tex Mex (Chuy's in particular), and Central Market. We don't have ANYTHING up there that big/organic. And reprehensor didn't know the difference between products, so tossed out about 4 or 5 bottles of my $8 Caldrea cleaners. GAH!
Haven't found a place up here that carries it yet.

My maternal grandfather and uncle did tons of research on that side of the family and came up with an extensive family history. I've started poking around on my father's side looking for branches of the family tree, and I did start by looking up death records.

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi

Then, you can try to use where they were living last and order obituaries for folks from here, if you're far away from that place....

http://www.raogk.com/listing.htm

(read the rules here...http://www.raogk.com/faq-requesters.htm)

Good luck and have fun!
We were all newbies once...
:hi: LIW!
fsc

And even if, for some reason, the records were sealed, you could get a judge to order them opened to look for health information.

My mother died of breast cancer. My uncle, her brother, told his kids that she had lung cancer (well, yes, the cancer was in her lungs, metastasized from the breast)...to deter them from smoking. When 2 of his daughters had to have biopsies on breast lumps, they had no idea there had ever been any in the family at all. Not as much risk for them as it would have been if it had been a maternal aunt, but still a risk. One of the daughters has cut off all contact with her parents because of that lie, even though her lump was benign.

Why lie about things like that? I know some conditions could be embarassing, but it it's something that could affect other generations, then it needs to be known. Especially cancers.

from here:

http://www.vitalchek.com/agency_locator.aspx

You might first check the website for the county clerk in the county he died in. 20 years is probably too long ago, but it could be online for free.

That and as a concerned family member that needs to know for your own health reasons.