Injuries & Its Medico Legal Injuries & Its Medico Legal Aspect
INTRODUCTION
Injury is also known as trauma or wound and can be defined legally as any harm whatsoever in nature caused illegally to the body, mind, reputation or property (Bhullar, 2007). Medicolegally (clinically) it is defined as breach or dissolution of the natural continuity of any of the tissues of a living body by actual physical violence. The legal aspect views trauma in two forms, simple and grievous while medicolegally trauma has various types’ mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical/lightening, radiation (Bhullar, 2007). The mode of injury could be suicidal, homicidal or accidental. Doctors should therefore be abreast with medico-legal procedures to identify and differentiate failed homicidal, suicidal from accidental cases. This will go a long way to wholishically manage a patient, as they may eventually succeed in their attempts leading to deaths if not properly managed. Injuries of medicalegal importance include:
1. Hesitation cuts/tentative cuts: These are parallel superficial cuts suggestive of suicidal nature, seen in the (precordial area), wrist etc....
Additional Resource: Medicolegal Notes in Injuries, an Emerging Clinical Importance (2648 downloads )