Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Vasudeva Murthy Challakere Ramaswamy ¹, S. Harish ², Y. P. Girish Chandra ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Pathology, International Medical University, 126 Jalan 19/155b, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, IN
2 Department of Forensic Medicine, M.S.Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore, IN

Abstract

Deaths due to fall from height, form an important area of study due to diversity of the injuries sustained, complexity of the patterns involved and various phenomenon's associated there with. The medico-legal autopsy aims at deciding whether the death was attributed purely to the height. It also helps in ruling out the various contributing factors like drugs, alcohol and co-existing natural disease. The study of pattern of external and internal injury may together indicate the primary site of impact and height from which the fall has occurred. The determination of actual or probable anatomical site of primary impact may be useful in reconstruction of the events, which led to fatal falls. Presence of multiple blunt force injuries makes it hard to differentiate between falls induced injuries and those that have been inflicted before the fall and often disagreement predominates regarding the height at which death results. Thus a careful study of total injury pattern is of vital importance in every case. In the difficult scenario of assessing the manner of death, meticulous autopsy in combination with visit to the scene of occurrence that includes observation of ground nature and presence of any intervening object is of extreme help.

Keywords

Fall from Height, Site of Impact and Pattern of Injuries

Full Text