Neck injuries caused by being run over by a motor vehicle

We report a homicide involving the use of a motor vehicle and simulating a traffic accident. This observation was the reason for a retrospective analysis of neck injuries in victims of traffic accidents, in which a person has been run over (RO) by a motor vehicle. The autopsy material of two institutes from 1990-1996 was used. The following findings were obtained in 63 victims: laryngohyoid fractures (LH-fx): 10 cases (16%) with a clear difference between the institutes (22% versus 7%). This resulted from examination with special regard to such injuries in many cases at one of the institutes, whereas only autopsy reports were taken retrospectively from the other institute. Five of these cases had suffered only minor LH-fx (as seen frequently in strangulation), although extensive run over (RO) injuries of the other cervical tissues were present. All LH-fx were caused by direct compression of the neck; in eight of the cases they were combined with mandibular fractures. Petechial hemorrhages (petH) at the eye lids/conjunctivae were seen in 19 cases (30%); 16 of these were related to thorax RO injuries, three to abdominal RO only. Four cases involved LH-fx, petH as well as cervical skin lesions and additional cervical soft tissue hemorrhages. Interpretation can be extremely difficult with this combination of findings if the character of the event cannot be established as accidental beyond doubt on the basis of the circumstances.     

列车撞击伤及碾轧伤的损伤形态与成伤机制

目的总结列车撞击、碾轧伤的典型损伤形态，探讨其成伤机制。方法对103例列车撞击伤、84例列车碾轧伤案例进行回顾性分析。结果不同的致伤方式及受害者伤时状态不同，在损伤形态及成伤机制上有所差异。结论典型损伤形态可为推断致伤方式及受害者伤时状态提供依据。     

Fatal thoracic compression after being partially run over by an automobile

The authors report on a fatal pedestrian accident in which the victim lay on the street and got under a car being run over by one of the front wheels. Both the car driver and the killed pedestrian were strongly alcohol-intoxicated at the time of the accident (2.45 a.m.). After the car had come to a standstill, the pedestrian remained trapped under the car until she was rescued by the fire brigade. On the basis of the autopsy findings and the technical expert opinion it could be reconstructed that the pedestrian's death was not caused by the consequences of being run over by the car, but by the subsequent compression of her thorax in the final accident position.     

Tears in the clothing after being run over by an automobile wheel

Clothes taken from 120 bodies of victims in case of death due to car wheel overrunning were examined and in 10 cases shred-shaped tissue ruptures in the form of an angle were detected. They proved to appear in case of oblique direction in overrunning and the angle of a shred turned back was directed to the side of wheel rotatory movements, i.e. contrary to wheel translational movement.     

Atypical injury pattern of a pedestrian run over by an unimog in the epigastric region

Strongly intoxicated, a 37-year-old man fell in front of the right back wheel of an emergency vehicle (MB Unimog) and was run over according to eye witnesses. He died in hospital shortly afterwards. The autopsy revealed that he bled to death from a traumatic liver rupture (bursting of the right hepatic lobe and severing of a piece of tissue measuring 17 x 8 x 4 cm). There were no injuries classicaly seen in victims run over by a car. The atypical injury findings in this case are due to the special features of the accident vehicle: The Unimog (an all-wheel vehicle with a fixed rear axle and flat coils) struck the right side of the body lying on the street with its rear wheel and was then lifted over the body by its fixed axle without touching the left side.     

Determining direction in cases of bodies run over by automobile wheels

Investigation of injuries sustained by 110 pedestrians during fatal traffic accident and observed in 8 biomannequins during experimental overrun by car wheels resulted in detection of morphological features indicating overrun direction and posture of a victim. It was stated that in case of multiple trauma the areas of wheel rolling and primary force application in collision with a car are located at opposite sides.     

Fatalities after injuries by wild animals

The article summarises three fatalities after attacks by wild animals. The first case describes a 90-year-old woman who died as a result of pneumonia after a bear fell on her and caused multiple chest fractures. The second case deals with a 76-year-old woman who was hit in the middle face by the hoof of a camel and, thereafter, died of myocardial infarction. The third case describes a 27-year-old biologist who died from severe blunt trauma after an attack of a wild living elephant. The article gives a summary of typical injury patterns of selected wild animals and outlines potential reasons of death as a result of the injuries.     

Finding of a bullet in the cervical column of a body hit by a train

This case is about the finding of a body of an unidentified male of approximately 70 years of age who was hit by a train. During the carrying out of the corresponding autopsy and after the radiological tests for posterior odontological identification, a foreign body of a cylindrical-cone shape, identical to that of a bullet, was found lodged between the first and second cervical vertebrae. During dissection of the neck, a bullet was found. When the ballistic test was carried out, it was ascertained that the bullet was from a cartridge of 7.92 by 57-mm Mauser caliber, manufactured in Spain in 1936. This ammunition corresponds to that used during the Civil War in Spain (1936-1939). After the identification of the body, it was proved that the bullet was the result of a war wound. However, the victim had been unaware of the existence of the bullet, which had remained in his body for 50 years.     

Characteristic of injuries inflicted by a blank gunshot

The analysis of the data published in the special literature indicates that forensic-medical aspects of the injuries inflicted by blank shots fired from a variety of small-arms weapons remain poorly known or virtually unexplored. Despite considerable variability of such injuries, their forensic-medical examination should include three basic components, viz. the proof of the absence of the injurious action of the shot, differential diagnostics of the consequences of injuries attributable to each traumatic factor of the shot, and experimental simulation of the damages to the human body and the clothes taking into account concrete models of the weapons and the blank cartridge.     

Injury pattern on the hand after slipping onto the blade during a knife attack--a contribution to the differential diagnostic classification of sharp force injuries of the upper extremities

Differential diagnosis of injuries caused by accidental slipping of the hand onto the blade of a knife includes self-inflicted injuries (e.g. to simulate an offense) as well as active and passive defense injuries indicative of the involvement of another party. The injury pattern on the hands of five perpetrators who suffered accidental cuts during knife attacks, as seen by the authors during the clinical forensic examination, is presented. The injuries were localized on the ulnar aspect of the thumb facing the index finger, the radial aspect of the index finger facing the thumb and variable sites on the flexor or extensor side of the middle and ring fingers. Especially in those cases in which the injuries of the victim (e.g. involvement of bony structures) and the dominant hand of the perpetrator are known, additional information for the reconstruction of the course of events may be derived from the cut wounds occurring during the knife attack as the hand slipped onto the blade.     

Postmortem bite injuries cause by a domestic cat]

A 70-year-old farmer was found dead in front of a barn. The emergency doctor did not note any significant findings at the external examination of the body. When the corpse was picked up by the undertaker, he noticed facial injuries. Several domestic cats were strolling around the barn at this time. External examination by a forensic pathologist revealed both sharp and crenated wound margins around the removed ear with punctured stabs adjacent to the mutilation. Further small perforating but not mutilating skin lesions were found also on other parts of the face. Given the typical morphology of the skin lesions and the observation of cats at the death scene, it is concluded that the injuries were inflicted by at least one domestic cat. In the forensic literature, reports on depredation of human corpses by cats are rare. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of outdoor cat depredation in the early postmortem interval. The case shows that domestic cats feed on human corpse even if other food is available.     

Unusual injuries caused by blows with a sash saw

A 62-year old man was found killed by multiple blows against the face and head; near the victim a hammer with broken grip, a bended saw (weight 142 g), and in the possession of the doer two hatchets. Some straigt, parallel, horizontal wounds in the face with smooth lips and straigt incisions of the maxilla first were interpreted as violations by hatchet. The culprit confessed attacks by hammer and saw, but not by hatchet. Experimental blows with a saw like the used on the leg of a corpse showed an unexpected result: it was possible to produce wounds of the soft-tissues and the bone similar to those by hatchets.     

Differences in personality and mental state between suspects and witnesses immediately after being interviewed by the police

Abstract

There is increased recognition that people interviewed by the police are often psychologically vulnerable due to modest intelligence, mental health problems, disturbed mental state, and personality problems. The current study aimed to investigate differences in the mental state and personality between suspects and witnesses. The participants were 78 individuals (47 suspects and 31 witnesses) who had been interviewed by the Icelandic police. They were assessed psychologically immediately after the interview with the police was completed. Significant differences emerged between the two groups with the suspects being more depressed, hopeless, compliant and personality disordered than the witnesses. Four of the suspects claimed to have made a false confession to the police due to their immediate need or psychological problems.     

Burn injuries caused by a hair-dryer--an unusual case of child abuse

About 1.4-26% burn injuries in children appear to be abusive in origin. A 2.5-year-old girl was referred to our institute because of suspected child abuse. Clinical examination and later interrogation of the mother revealed non-recent deep second degree burn injuries on both gluteal regions, caused by the partner of the mother by pressing a hand-held hair-dryer against the skin. The authors present the findings of this unusual method of child abuse.     

我国加入“92年油污损害民事责任公约”的利弊分析

在分析“92年责任公约”特点的基础上 ,从实际出发分析我国加入该公约后的利弊及对监督管理的影响。     

几类常见钥匙被增配使用后在母匙上形成痕迹的检验方法

目的研究几类常见钥匙增配痕迹特征分布。方法用光学显微镜观察钥匙的增配痕迹。结果几类钥匙的增配痕迹能够观察到。结论通过检验不同种类钥匙上的痕迹特征可以确定是否为增配使用痕迹。     

论“入宪”后私有财产权法律保护制度的再完善——对2004年修改后的宪法第13条的再思考

必须正确认识“社会主义公有财产神圣不可侵犯”和“公民的合法的私有财产不受侵犯”两个规定之间的关系。财产权保护的法理依据应当是财产取得方式的合法性而不是“所有制”的优越性。有关私有财产权保障的条款应置于公民的基本权利部分而非总则的“基本经济制度”部分。立法上完善配套法律法规时要既体现“平等保护原则,”又处理好转型时期的“特殊问题”。为增强法律实效,实践中应有效限制行政权力,进一步放宽对私营企业市场准入限制。培植尊重私产和正当程序的宪政观念,深化政治体制改革,建立真正的社会公正,兼顾自由竞争与公平分配,对完善宪政意义上的私有财产权制度非常重要。