Challenging Issues Relating to Comprehensive Examination in Motor Vehicle Injuries: Forensic Medical Aspects

Abstract

Motor vehicle traumas are among the most common causes of injury both in Ukraine and around the world. Comprehensive examinations enable investigating and judicial authorities to investigate and detect crimes in cases of motor accident. The purpose of the study was to identify the most common challenging issues arising during the complex expert examinations traumas caused by motor vehicle accidents (MVA) and the ways to solve them by analyzing data obtained from forensic examinations of non-survivors in motor vehicle accidents in Ukraine. Results and discussion. According to 45 complex examination reports from the State Institution «Main Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine» it was impossible to identify the position of the victims at the moment of trauma (and to identify the places the victims set in the car salon) due to the lack of primary data in 20% of the cases studied; and in only 5 cases it was possibility to establish the position of the victims at the moment of injury. Determining the location of the victim in the car, pedestrian, etc. can be only identified by characteristic and specific injuries, which are not always paid attention during the initial examination of cadavers. A lot of medical records can omit the description of some injuries (size, localization, shape, morphological features, etc.) or do not provide complete information that impedes the investigative of motor vehicle accidents. Another cause to identify the position of MVA non-survivor is inability to indicate the mechanism and sequence of damage to the car during the auto-technical expert examination. Conclusion. The study has shown that the main factors impeding the MVA investigation and clarifying the picture of event are: violation of the «Rules for conducting forensic expert examination of corpses in the forensic examination bureau» during the initial examination; the absence or poor quality description in the protocols and guidelines for the inspection of the accident scene, including physical evidence and the condition of the vehicle; the inability to establish the nature of injuries on the body of victims or non-survivors and damage to vehicles due to delays in the investigation of crimes; drawbacks in filling in and keeping medical documentation: absence or incomplete description of damage (size, shape, location, morphological features, etc.).