ESSENTIAL POSTMORTEM FINDINGS IN THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIM

VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT MAY OFTEN BE DERIVED FROM A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE INJURIES OF THE VICTIM. NO ATTEMPT CAN OR SHOULD BE MADE TO INTERPRET EACH AND EVERY INJURY WITH RESPECT TO THE MECHANISM BY WHICH IT WAS SUSTAINED. RATHER, PATTERNED INJURIES, SUCH AS THE IMPRINT OF A DOOR KNOB AND OTHER INJURIES WHICH BY VIRTUE OF THEIR LOCATION ARE KNOWN BY EXPERIENCE TO BE CAUSED IN A SPECIFIC WAY, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. INCISIONS SHOULD BE MADE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE BODY WHICH ARE KNOWN TO BE FREQUENTLY TRAUMATIZED WHILE SHOWING MINIMAL OR NO EXTERMAL EVIDENCE OF INJURY. THIS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM OF A GIVEN MOTOR VEHICULAR ACCIDENT. THIS PRACTICE WILL MAP OUT THE INJURIES NOT ONLY ACCORDING TO THEIR DISTRIBUTION BUT ALSO IN REGARD TO THEIR APPEARANCE, THEREBY ENABLING THE DOCUMENTATION OF ALL POINTS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. INJURIES COMMON TO PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS, AND PASSENGERS ARE DESCRIBED. /HSL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Archives of Pathology

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Spitz, W U
• Publication Date: 1970-11

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 451-7
• Serial:
  • Volume: 90

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Crash investigation; Crashes; Fatalities; Injuries; Pedestrian vehicle crashes
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221746
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 24 1972 12:00AM