• Benno Hartung, Andreas Schäuble, Steffen Peldschus, Maximilian Schüssler, and Heinz-Lothar Meyer.
• Institute of Forensic Medicine, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany; DEKRA Automobil GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Biomechanics and Accident Analysis, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany; Clinic for Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.
• Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2024 Jan 12; 121 (1): 273627-36.

BackgroundPersons injured in traffic accidents may have injuries of characteristic types that are of significance for the complex reconstruction of the accident and whose medicolegally sound clinical documentation is highly important. This is of particular relevance for the approximately 55 000 persons who are severely injured in traffic accidents in Germany each year. Gaps in documentation are often disadvantageous for the injured persons.MethodsThis review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective literature review, with additional consideration of relevant textbooks in traffic medicine and legal medicine, as well as the guidelines of the AWMF (Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany).ResultsInjuries in traffic accidents typically differ depending on the mode of participation of the injured person in traffic. They must be examined with a view toward the sequence of events of the accident and documented in medicolegally sound fashion. In particular, because of the different mechanical forces involved, it is important to document the seat that the injured person occupied in the automobile, the nature of the collision (pedestrian vs. automobile; bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter, and motorcycle accidents), and the protective devices that were in use.ConclusionThe precise documentation of injuries and examination findings, with critical consideration of their plausibility in relation to the sequence of events of the accident as far as it is known, is an important duty of the physician. This documentation serves as the basis for further judicial steps leading to compensation when legally appropriate.

12 keywords...

hide…