“过失严重度”及其在医疗事故处理中的应用

目的建立“过失严重度”这一描述医疗事故或纠纷综合严重程度的量化指标。方法“过失严重度”以事故级别系数乘以责任大小系数表示。结果经计算,共产生了15个级别的“过失严重度”,从最重的1到最轻的20。结论“过失严重度”可对不同等级、不同责任程度医疗事故的严重程度进行排序,按照这一排序,可使医疗事故与纠纷的处理更具操作性与合理性。     

臂丛神经主要分支损伤法医学鉴定66例分析

目的探讨臂丛神经主要分支损伤的法医学鉴定。方法取自本室2003年1月至2005年12月共66例84条臂丛神经主要分支损伤的案例进行统计分析。结果被鉴定人中男性青壮年占较大比例;锐器伤引起神经损伤居多达94%;神经损伤伴有骨折的占34%,其中50%尺神经损伤伴尺骨骨折;曾行肌电图检查的为34条神经,占40%,其中有15条临床未确诊为神经损伤。结论臂丛神经主要分支损伤的法医学鉴定,关键看影响肢体运动功能的后果,鉴定时机宜术后20天 L(神经断端远侧的长度)/R(生长速度) 90天。     

论消费者权之法律边界

消费者权的行使可能会损害经营者的经营自由,权利冲突意味着权利的限制与边界,确立消费者权法律边界的理论依据主要有权利冲突理论和权利不得滥用原则。过错责任是消费者权利与经营者经济自由平衡保护的重要机制,特殊消费侵权行为适用无过错责任时,也应遵循法益衡量规则。     

美国证据排除规则的衰变及其启示——以Herring v. United States案为主线的考察

2009年1月的Herring v.United States案判决是近年来美国联邦最高法院关于证据排除规则方面影响最大的判决,它确立了＂过失行为所得非法证据不适用证据排除＂的新规则。该判决以其不同以往任何案例的特殊性引发了关于证据排除的存在必要性、适用范围、审查模式等一系列问题的理论探讨和实务争议。以该判决前后美国联邦最高法院的态度转变和学界回应为鉴,我国证据排除规则的确立应定位于阻吓违法行为,以过错原则为判断标准,并配合职务监督方式施行。     

构建信赖利益损害赔偿责任的思考

信赖利益是指法律行为中,一方当事人基于合理信赖所具有的一种既有利益。这种利益可以体现为财产上的利益,也可以表现为法律行为上的机会性利益。我国现行法律在信赖利益的保护方面存在有诸多不足,我们需要建立这样一种责任制度:既能全面保护法律行为中合理信赖人的利益,又能使双方当事人之间的利益平衡符合公平正义。这种制度便是以保护信赖利益为主要目的信赖利益损害赔偿责任制度。信赖利益损害赔偿责任是有别于缔约过失责任、违约责任与侵权责任的一种独立的责任形式。     

Differential decomposition patterns in charred versus un-charred remains

Although researchers have examined many aspects of fire modification, the rate and pattern of decomposition in charred remains have not been studied previously. This study utilized 48 domestic pigs, divided into 24 charred (head, neck, and limbs burned to Crow-Glassman level 1 and torso to level 2) and 24 un-charred pig carcasses. Decomposition of control carcasses was scored at 50 accumulated degree days (ADD) intervals, and charred carcasses were also observed and photographed at this time. A Charred Body Scale was subsequently created, and charred carcasses were scored retrospectively for the same ADD intervals. Analysis using a mixed-effect repeated measures model indicated that, while decomposition rate was not statistically different between the two groups (p = 0.2692), the charred remains initially displayed an ostensibly more advanced pattern. Body regions displaying significant charring decomposed at a faster rate (p < 0.001), while areas with very light levels of charring decomposed at a significantly slower rate (p < 0.001).     

Decaying Mouse Volatiles Perceived by Calliphora vicina Rob.‐Desv.

Volatiles emitted by decaying human remains are in the focus of recent research. The identification of core volatiles in this field is of high importance, because cadaveric volatiles generally show high variation. In this study, the volatile profiles of five mice (Myodes glareolus) were sampled with charcoal filter tubes from their time of death until advanced decay. Eleven compounds were quantitated by means of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Electroantennographic experiments with female Calliphora vicina antennae led to the identification of dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl disulfide, nonanal, hexan‐1‐ol, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 3‐methylbutan‐1‐ol, and heptanal as electrophysiologically active compounds. When these were compared, dimethyl trisulfide (17 ng/μL) and dimethyl disulfide (11 ng/μL) were found to be emitted in higher concentrations. The roles of these compounds and nonanal as core volatiles for cadaver detection or postmortem time determination and their correlation to the stages of decay and the accumulated degree days are discussed.     

A Preliminary Examination of Differential Decomposition Patterns in Mass Graves

Five pairs of mass graves, each containing carcasses of 21 rabbits, were used to examine differential decomposition at four locations within the burial: surface, deep, mid‐outer, and core. Every 100 accumulated degree days (ADD), a pair of graves was exhumed, and total body score (TBS) and internal carcass temperature of each rabbit were recorded. Decomposition did not differ for core‐ and deep‐positioned carcasses (p = 0.13); differences were significant (p < 0.001) for all other location comparisons. Decomposition occurred fastest in shallow carcasses, followed by mid‐outer carcasses; deep and core carcasses decomposed slowest and at rates not significantly different from one another. Adipocere formation was minimal and confined to deep carcasses. Carcass location within the mass grave significantly influenced internal carcass temperature (p < 0.001); a mean internal temperature difference of ca. 1°C existed between deep and shallow carcasses (30 cm apart). Effects of mass compactness and oxygenation require further investigation.     

过失相抵与无过错责任简

过失相抵是损害赔偿法中的一项基本规则,适用于所有的损害赔偿之债。在适用无过错责任的侵权行为中,除非法律另有规定,可以适用过失相抵,这是法律之公平精神与自己责任原则的要求。在可以适用过失相抵规则的无过错责任中,对该规则的适用也应有一定的限制。首先,只有当受害人对损害的发生或扩大有重大过失时,才能适用过失相抵,减轻侵权人的赔偿责任。其次,如果受害人是不完全民事行为能力人,无论是受害人本人还是其监护人对于损害的发生或扩大有过错,对侵权人赔偿责任的减轻都不得低于全部损失的一定比例。     

Do bone elasticity and postmortem interval affect forensic fractographic analyses?

Forensic fractographic features of bone reliably establish crack propagation in perimortem injuries. We investigated if similar fracture surface features characterize postmortem fractures. Experimentally induced peri- and postmortem fractures were used to assess if fractographic features vary as bone elasticity decreases during the postmortem interval (PMI). Thirty-seven unembalmed, defleshed human femoral shafts from males and females aged 33–81 years were fractured at varying PMIs with a drop test frame using a three-point bending setup and recorded with a high-speed camera. Vital statistics, cause of death, PMI length, temperature, humidity, collagen percentage, water loss, fracture energy, and fractography scores were recorded for each sample. Results showed that fractographic features associated with perimortem fractures were expressed in PMIs up to 40,600 accumulated degree hours (ADH), or 60 warm weather days. Hackle was the most consistently expressed feature, occurring in all fractures regardless of ADH. The most variable characteristics were wake features (78.4%) and arrest ridges (70.3%). Collagen percentage did not correlate strongly with ADH (r = −0.04, p = 0.81); however, there was a strong significant correlation between ADH and water loss (r = 0.74, p < 0.001). Multinomial logistic regression showed no association between fractographic feature expression and ADH or collagen percentage. In conclusion, forensic fractographic features reliably determine initiation and directionality of crack propagation in experimentally induced PMIs up to 40,600 ADH, demonstrating the utility of this method into the recent postmortem interval. This expression of reliable fractographic features throughout the early PMI intimates these characteristics may not be useful standalone features for discerning peri- versus postmortem fractures.