MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF PHYSICAL INJURIES

DR. ROWENA M. CUEVILLAS

PROFESSOR

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 DEFINITIONS

Medical: Medically Injury is defined as,

any discontinuity or breach in the
anatomy of the body.

Legal: Legally, Injury is defined as any

harm caused illegally to a person i.e. to
his body, mind, reputation or property.

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 ETIOLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATION:
MECHANICAL THERMAL
1, ABRASION 1. BURN
2. CONTUSION 2. SCALD
3. LACERATION 3. CHEMICAL BURN
4. INCISED WOUND 4. RADIATION BURN
5. STAB WOUND 5. ELECTRIC BURN
6. FIREARM 6. LIGHTENING BURN
7. EXPLOSIVE BURN
Fractures & dislocations are
included in Lacerations.

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CLASSIFICATION OF WOUNDS
A. As to severity of injury:
1. Non-mortal wound – wounds which is not
capable of producing death immediately after
infliction or shortly thereafter
• Simple Injury- Soft tissue injuries that
permit you to resume normal routine duties
within ten days
2. Mortal-Wound – wound which is caused
immediately after infliction or shortly
thereafter that is capable of causing death.

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Part of the body where the wounds
inflicted are considered mortal:
 Heart and big blood vessels
 Brain and upper portion of the spinal cord
 Liver, stomach, spleen and intestine,
lungs
Grievous Injury - All fractures of bones
are classified as grievous injuries.
Injuries to soft tissues and organs that
incapacitates a person from doing his
normal duties for more than TEN days

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B. As to the Kind Of Instrument Used.
1. Blunt instrument ( contusion, lacerated wound)
2. Sharp instrument
a. Sharp-edged Instrument (incised wound)
b. sharp-pointed instrument (punctured wound)
c. Sharp-edged and sharp pointed instrument
(Stab wound)
3. Wound brought about by change of atmospheric
pressure. (Barotrauma)
4. Wound brought about by heat and cold

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C. As Regard to the Depth of Wound
1. Superficial – When the wound involves only
the layers of the skin
2. Deep – when the wound involves the inner
structure beyond the layers of the skin
a. Penetrating – one in which the wounding
agent enters the body but did not come out
or the mere piercing of a solid organ or
tissue of the body
b. b. Perforating – when the wounding agent
produces communication between the inner
and the outer portion of the hollow organs.

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D. As regard to the Relation of the Site of the
Application of Force and the Location of Injury:
a. Coup Injury- Physical injury which is
located at the site of the application of force
b. Contre-Coup Injury – physical injury found
opposite at the site of application of force.
c. Coup Contre-Coup Injury – physical injury
located at the site and also opposite the site
of application of force.

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d. “Locus Minoris Resistencia” –
physical injury located not at the site
nor opposite the site of the
application of force but in some
areas offering the least resistance to
the force applied.
Example: A blow on the forehead may
cause contusion at the region of the
eyeball because of the fracture on the
papyraceous bone forming the roof of
the orbit.

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e. Extensive Injury – physical
injury involving a greater area of
the body beyond the site of the
application of force.
Ex. A fall from a height or a run-
over victim of a vehicular accident
may suffer from multiple fractures,
laceration of organs and all types
of skin injuries

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E. Special Types of Wounds
a. Defense Wound
 Wound which is the result of a
person’s instinctive reaction of
self-protection.

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b. Patterned Wound
Wound in the nature and shape of an
object or instrument and which infers
the object or instrument causing it.

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c. Self-Inflicted
Wounds/ fabricated
wounds
 Wound
produced on
oneself.
 To create new identity or
 Motive of destroy the existing one
Producing Self- Finger-prints may be
Inflicted wounds; destroyed by acid by
To escape cutting or burning
certain  To gain attention or
sympathy
obligation or
Psychotic behavior

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punishment
d. Fabricated or False Wound
Injuries inflicted by oneself
or by some other in
agreement with him/her.
Purposes:
1.To support a false charge
against somebody
2. To avoid some duty such
as in military
3. To avert suspicion by
concealing some injury
4. To convert simple injury
to grave one

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1. CLOSED WOUND
 There is no breach of continuity of the skin mucous
membrane
a. Superficial – when wound is just underneath the
layers of the skin or mucous membrane.
- Petechiae - Hematoma
- Contusion
b. Deep
1. Musculo-Skeletal Injuries
- Sprain
- Dislocation Fracture
- Strain – to injury by too much tension, use or effort
- Subluxation- partial dislocation of bone

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2. OPEN-WOUND
 There is a breach of continuity of
the skin or mucous membrane
a. Abrasion
b. Incised Wound
c. Stab Wound
d. Punctured
e. Lacerated

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CONTUSION

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(Syn: contusions, ecchymoses) From Old
English brysan -to crush and Old French
bruser- to break
Definition: leakage of blood from ruptured
small vessels (veins or arterioles) into the
surrounding tissues.
Haemorrhage or bleeding is the escape of
blood from any part of the vascular system.
Bruising is haemorrhage into the
surrounding tissues. Bruising may be seen
in skin, muscle or any internal organ.

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TYPES OF CONTUSION
1. Superficial- It may occur immediately
after the impact, due to accumulation of
fluid blood subcutaneously
2. Deep- This signifies bleeding deeper to
the subcutaneous tissues. It may takes
hours or one or two days to appear at the
surface.
3. Patterned- Due to compression of body
part, some imprint of the object may be
reproduced.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTUSION
Subcutaneous injury involving rupture of
capillaries, epithelium being intact.
Caused by hard & blunt objects.
Site of bruise may be the site of impact
or away from the site of impact due to
gravity (ectopic bruise)
Size of injury may vary from pin point
hemorrhage to large haematoma.
Contusion may not be visible in dark

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individuals
CHARACTERISTICS OF
CONTUSION
 Deep contusion may become
visible externally after 1-3 day
 It may be associated with some
other injuries like abrasion,
laceration, Contused Lacerated
Wound.
 It Heals with in 1-2 weeks without
apparent scarring.

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AGE OF CONTUSION
 The contusion is red sometime
purple soon after its complete
development
 In 4 to 5 days, the color changes
to green.
 In 7 to 10 days, it becomes yellow
 In 14 to 15th day, it gradually
disappears.

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Factors influencing the degree and
extent of contusion
1. General Condition of the victim –
some healthy person are easily bruise
2. Part of the body affected
• body with excessive fat- contusion
easily develops
• Parts with abundant fibrous tissue
and good muscle tone – bruising
less

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3. Amount of force applied – the
greater the force applied the more
effusion of blood will develop.
4. Disease – contusion may develop
with or without the application of
force.
Example: Hemophilia, Anemia,
whooping cough, even vicarious
menstruation

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5. Sex – women, specially obese, easily
develop contusion
6. Application of heat or cold
• if immediately after injury cold compress
is applied the production of contusion will
be minimized.
• After it has already develop, application
of warm compress will hasten its
disappearance.

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7. Age – children and old age
persons rend to bruise easily
Children- have loose and tender
skin
Old people – less flesh and blood
vessels are fragile

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 Severity of bruises
Bruise harm score
Harm
Severity level Notes
score
0 Light bruise No damage
1 Mild bruise Little damage
2 Moderate bruise Some damage

3 Serious bruise Dangerous

4 Extremely serious bruise Dangerous

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5 Critical bruise Risk of death
The site of bruising does not
necessarily reflect site of trauma.
Bleeding into tissues may continue
for some time after impact under
circulatory pressure.
e.g.
• blow on temple --> bruise on cheek
• fractured jaw --> bruising on neck
• fractured hip --> bruise on thigh

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 CONTUSION POST MORTEM
LIVIDITY
Ante mortem Post mortem
phenomenon. phenomenon.

• Is due to rupture of Is due to stagnation of

capillaries, hence blood in
extravasation of, toneless dilated
blood. capillaries.
• May be present • Present only on
anywhere on the dependent body

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body. parts.
• Features of Features of inflammation
inflammation are absent
seen.

• Colour changes as
per stage of
healing are seen

• To know; nature of To know; time since death,

injury, position of dead body,
type of weapon whether dead
body was shifted?

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 CONTUSION POST MORTEM LIVIDITY
• Features of inflammation are Features of inflammation absent
seen.

• Colour changes as per stage of

healing are seen

• To know; nature of injury, To know; time since death,

type of weapon position of dead body, whether dead
body was shifted?

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CONTUSION PM LIVIDITY

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Hematoma (Bukol)
• Accumulation of blood in a newly-
formed cavity beneath the skin
• May be indicative of the amount of
force applied
ABRASION

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ABRASION
(Syn: grazes, scratches)
Definition: "a portion of the body surface
from which the skin or mucous membrane
has been removed by rubbing" (from the
Latin ab- from ,and radere- to scrape).
A superficial injury of the skin not involving
the full thickness of the skin (confined to
epidermis and papillary dermis, or body
lining epithelium). Usually due to BFT,
exception is a scratch

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF ABRASION
• Superficial injuries
• Caused usually due to friction with
rough, blunt, hard objects.( except
scratches )
• Site of abrasion is the site of impact.
• They bleed slightly, sometimes there may
be only lymph exudation.
• They heal rapidly with in 1 to 2 weeks
without scarring.

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 FORMS OF ABRASION
1. LINEAR:
• Abrasion which appears
as a single line
• It may be straight or curved
2. MULTI-LINEAR:
• abrasion which develops
when the skin is rubbed on a
hard rough object producing
several linear marks parallel

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3. CONFLUENT:
• Abrasion where the linear marks on the
Skin are almost indistinguishable on the
Account of the severity of friction and
Roughness
MULTIPLE:
Several abrasion of varying sizes and
shapes may be found in different parts of
the body

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 TYPES OF ABRASION
1. SCRATCHES: Caused by
scratching with a sharp tip,
e.g. pins, needles, knife, thorn, nail
etc.

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2. GRAZES : This injury results when
the body is dragged on the rough
surface, eg. during vehicular
accidents.

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 3. Imprint/ Pressure/ Contact
Abrasion : It results from pressure of
object on the body with no or little
friction, sometimes it may reproduce
its print on the body.

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MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF
ABRASION
FORENSICALLY VERY IMPORTANT.
Often the most informative of all injures:
 Always reflect site of impact
 Often indicate causative object/surface
 Often indicate direction of impact.
These injuries are mostly accidental,
sometimes homicidal & rarely suicidal.
Characteristics of injury, type of weapon,
age of injury can be helpful in medico

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legal cases.
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 LACERATION
From Latin lacerare - to tear.
Definition:
 It is defined as the injury caused by
Heavy, Hard & Blunt objects, involving
damage to some deeper layers & deeper
body parts. e.g. dermis, muscles, bones
& internal viscera.

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 Characteristics of lacerated
wounds
• It is caused by heavy, hard &
blunt objects
• Deep injury.
• Site of injury is the site of impact.
• Shape of injury is irregular.
• Margins of injury are usually abraded or
contused, showing irregular tags of tissues.
• Hair & hair bulbs are crushed.
• Borders of the wound are contused and swollen

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 Characteristics of lacerated wounds

 Nerves are crushed hence

paralysis may result.
 Blood vessels are crushed
hence bleeding is relatively less.
 Foreign body in the form of
earth, hairs, cloth, etc. is usually
present.
 Healing is by scarring

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TYPES OF LACERATED WOUNDS
1. Split laceration- It results due to
perpendicular force impact. The body
part get crushed between heavy object
& underlying bone.
2. Stretch laceration- caused by a heavy
blunt impact on a fixed, localized area of
skin causing the skin to overstretch
E.g. glancing kick with shoe.

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3. Torn lacerations : caused by a
projecting surface of an object being
dragged over the the skin
e.g. road traffic accidents ,
machinery accidents
4, Perforated lacerations : caused by
objects capable of penetrating the skin .
e.g. missiles of firearms, shrapnel from
explosions

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5. Blast lacerations : caused by local
blast effect of expanding gases
e.g. blast injuries
6. Cut lacerations : caused by blunted
sharp weapons
e.g. ice picks, blade of a
mammoty

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 MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT
 Laceration are
FORENSIC
usually homicidal
or accidental. IMPORTANCE
1.Shape and size not
 Suicidal are very
usually related to
rare because of
extreme force causal object
2.Trace evidence in
required &
extensive pain.
wound
3. Rarely self-
 These are usually
inflicted
grievous injuries.

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INCISED
WOUND

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 INCISED WOUNDS
Definition: (cut, slash, slice)
• These are the injuries caused by Sharp
edged objects (like, blade, knife, chopper
etc) , when the weapon is struck or pressed
& drawn across the body part.

Types:
- Hesitation cuts
- Chop wounds

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF INCISED
WOUNDS
 They are caused by sharp edged
weapons.
 Shape of injury is linear usually
elliptical or spindle shaped.
 Margins are slightly everted, clear-cut,
smooth & clean
 Surrounding skin is clear.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF INCISED
WOUNDS
 Blood vessels are cut hence bleeding
is profuse.
 Hair , hair bulb, muscles, bones are
cut
 Nerves are cut hence paralysis may
result.
 Usually no foreign body is present.
 Healing is usually by scarring

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 Medico-legal aspect of incised
wound
 Incised wounds are usually homicidal
or suicidal & rarely accidental in
nature.
 In homicidal incised wound, defense
incisions are present on dorsum of
hand, ulnar aspect, forearm or on palm.
 Post mortem incised wounds may be
caused by criminal to hide crime &
identity.

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FORENSIC IMPORTANCE

• Reflect sharp edge, not weapon

type. No trace evidence

• Danger to life depends on site and

depth. Incised wounds may be Self-
inflicted, assault or accident.

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PENETRATING
INJURIES

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Types of penetrative injuries
1. Stabs- - caused by flat , thin bladed
sharp cutting weapons
e.g. dagger, pen knives, table knives
2. Punctures - caused by weapons
where only the tip is pointed and rest of the
weapon blunted
e.g. needles (knitting, sewing),
pointed cycle spokes
3. Perforations - caused by long blunt
ended weapons . e.g. screw drivers, probes

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PENETRATING INJURIES
Penetrative injuries are injuries that pass
through the skin to enter the body
cavities/deep tissues.
Therefore death can be caused by either
damage to internal organs or
hemorrhage by damage to major vessels

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Stab Wounds
Wound characteristics:
• Result of a pointed or sharp
object forced inward
• Depth is greater than length
 Presents danger to vital organs
 May indicate the type of weapon
used
Length

Width

Hilt mark
Injury with one end cut & the other end torn
making a 'Fish Tail' [arrow]

The knife used would have knife with single cutting

been one with a single edge
cutting edge

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 The knife used would
have been one with a
double cutting edge

Knife with double cutting edge - e.g. sword

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The knife used would
have been one with a
hilt guard

Knife with a hilt

guard
e.g. Dagger

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EFFECTS OF STAB WOUNDS
• Victim may not initially be aware of
injury. There may be little or no
external blood loss.
• Internal blood loss may be profuse and
rapidly fatal or slow enough to allow
time for medical treatment.
• Main effect is bleeding. The time taken
to incapacitate the victim and what
actions are still possible is very
difficult to estimate.

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 Characteristics of stab wounds
• Caused by sharp, more or less pointed,
long objects.
• Depth is the greatest dimension.
• Wound of entry & wound of exit may be
present.
• Shape of wound of entry
depends upon nature of blade.
• Margins are inverted at wound of entry &
everted at wound of exit.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF STAB
WOUNDS
 Direction of assault can be
known by combining wound of
entry & exit.
 Piece of cloth may be present in
the wound.
 It is a deep injury.
 Healing is usually by scarring.

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 MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF
STAB WOUND
1) The shape of the stab wound may
indicate the class and type of the
weapon which may have caused the
injury.
2) The depth of the wound will indicate
the force of penetration.
3) Direction and dimensions indicate
the relative positions of the assailant
and the victim.

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MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF STAB
WOUND
4) The age of the injury can be determined.
5) Position, number and direction of stab
wound may indicate manner of production,
i.e., suicide, accident, or homicide.
6) If a broken fragment of weapon is found,
it will identify the weapon or will connect
an accused person with the crime.

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Punctured Wounds
Wound characteristics:
 Result of a pointed or sharp and
usually slender object forced inward
 Depth is greater than length
 Presents danger to vital organs
 PUNCTURE WOUNDS
• Puncture wound is the result of a thrust of
a sharp pointed instrument.
Characteristics:
1. Opening on the skin is very small
2. External hemorrhage is limited although
internally it may be severe
3. Sealing of the external opening will be
favorable for the growth and
multiplication of microorganism.

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Medical Evidence that tend to show it is
Homicidal: (PUNCTURE WOUNDS)
a. It is multiple and usually located in
different parts of the body
b. The wound are deep
c. There are defense wounds on the
victim
d. There is disturbance in the crime
scene ( sign of struggle)

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Proof to show it is SUICIDAL:(PUNCTURE
WOUND)
Located in areas of the body where the
vital organs are located
Parts of the body involved is accessible to
the hand of the victim
Clothing usually not involved
No disturbance of the crime scene
Presence of suicidal note
Wounding instrument found near the body
of the victim

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Chopping / Hack Wounds
• These represent injuries caused by
relatively heavy sharp- edged
implements, such as machetes, meat
cleavers, swords, hatchets and axes,
etc…
• Wounds were inflicted by a swinging
action, usually in a vertical or oblique
plane from top to bottom – hence the
head being a favourite target of attack
Wound Characteristics
• Can have characteristics of both
incised and lacerated wounds
• Extensive damage
Avulsion (skin
removal)
Eviscerations
(organ removal)
 Possible broken
bones
Gunshot Wound
 Gunshot wounds are typically
categorized by examining
characteristics of wound and looking
for the presence of gunshot residues
 Presence of gunshot residues is used
to determine approximate muzzle to
garment / target distance
Distance ranges are categorized as:
 Distant
 Intermediate
 Close
 Contact
 Loose
 Pressure
FACTORS INFLUENCING FIREARM
INJURY
• Type of firearm weapon
• Type of cartridge
• Muzzle velocity
• Range of firing
• Angle of firing
• Ricocheting of bullet
• Part of body struck.

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 RANGE OF FIRING
1. Contact firing- Muzzle end is in
contact withbody part.
2. Close range- Firing up to 2
yards(3 feet)
3. Long range- Firing beyond 2
yards.

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 CONTACT FIRING
• Muzzle end is in contact with body part.
• Is common in suicidal firing.
• Missile may produce wound of entry &
exit.
• Gases accumulates in body part & leads
to bursting/mutilation.
• Due to negative pressure clothes, hair,
blood may enter the muzzle end.

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GUNSHOT WOUNDS
A gunshot wound can be penetrating,
perforating, or grazing.
1. A penetrating gunshot wound is one
in which the bullet remains in the body;
a penetrating gunshot wound only has an
entrance wound. These injuries are often
the most lethal, as they indicate that the
entirety of the bullet's kinetic energy was
transferred to the body.

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2. A perforating gunshot wound is one
that passes through the body completely;
there are both an entrance wound and an
exit wound.
often, a bullet that has passed through a
body can become deformed and tumble
3. Grazing wound is one in which the
bullet grazes the body as it passes,
causing a generally milder injury than the
other forms of gunshot wound.

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 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WOUND OF ENTRANCE
AND EXIT
POINTS OF WOUND OF WOUND OF EXIT
DIFFERENCE ENTRANCE
Smaller when Larger when
SIZE near, Larger when near, smaller
distant when distant
MARGIN Inverted Everted
BLACKENING,
BURNING AND Present Absent
TATTOING

Abraded or
contused and Present Absent

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grease collars
POINTS OF WOUND OF WOUND OF EXIT
DIFFERENCE ENTRANCE
Foreign Enters the Nothing
fabrics of wound such
cloth etc
Protrusion of Absent Present
fat
Impression of Present in Absent
muzzle contact shot
BURSTING In contact Absent
EFFECT shot may be

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present
 Foreign fabrics of cloth Enters the wound Nothing such
etc

Protrusion of fat Absent Present

Impression of muzzle Present in contact shot Absent

BURSTING EFFECT In contact shot may be present Absent

POINTS OF WOUND OF ENTRANCE WOUND

DIFFERENCE OF EXIT

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 When looking at gunshot residues, it
is important to remember that it is not
possible to accurately determine
distances without conducting tests
using the suspected firearm and
similar ammunition
 If a bullet enters at an angle, there
may be an elliptical abrasion around
the hole
 The victim's face and entire
head just exploded and left
massive shotgun wound
GUNSHOT WOUNDS where the head once was
with his jaw hanging and
lose brain filling the hollows
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ASSAULT RIFFLE – M16; AK47

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The skin area has a
dense gunshot residue
deposit. When the same
ammunition and firearm
are used at the same
distance to fire into a
hair-covered scalp,
there is no visible
gunshot residue
present. The hair was
partially cut for
examination purposes

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Show gunshots with and
without intervening hair
that clearly display the
difference in the presence
or absence of gunshot
residue deposits.
Also note the reduction in
the amount of bullet wipe;
the hair not only filters out
powder particles, but it
also absorbs a
considerable amount of
the carbonaceous bullet-
wipe material.

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shows a wound caused
by a flare gun that fired a
homemade 12-gauge
shotgun cartridge filled
with screws, nuts, and
other small metal objects.
it is clear that the victim's
hair, which has been
partially shaved, shielded
the scalp from gunshot
residue and small
projectile impact. Note the
difference between the
upper, shaved scalp area

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and the forehead.
Hypothesis and Conclusions
 The presence of hair can significantly affect
the deposition of gunshot residue on skin.
 Hair can completely prevent the deposition of
gunshot residue to the scalp and other hair-
covered areas.
 An entry wound without stippling, sooting, or
gunshot residue particles cannot be regarded
as a distant-range shot without considering
the presence of hair as an intervening object.
 Hair acts as an effective filter and will retain
gunshot residue.

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MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF GUNSHOT INJURY
1. Nature of death due to firearm injury – Death
due to firearm injury may be suicidal, homicidal or
accidental.
Suicide :
elective sites (palate, right temple incase of a rt.
handed person),
 usual weapon( short, hand-rest weapons),
Often the entrance wounds are contact wounds
with presence of the impression of the muzzle
around the wound of entrance.
The gun may be held in the tight grip, in a state of

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cadaveric spasm of the hand used.
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECT OF GUNSHOT
INJURY
2. The direction of the firing
It is better to try to assess the direction of
the firing from the dispersion of the pellets
incases of shotgun injuries and from
abraded/contused and grease collars, in case of
bullet injuries by rifled weapons.
3. Distance of firing
In case of bullet injury (rifled gun), the
distance of firing can be assessed from :1)
Effects of fire, smoke, burnt and unburnt
gunpowder, when firing is from a short or near

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distance.
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103
BURN INJURIES
Severity of burns depends directly on
Intensity of fire
Duration of exposure
 Chemical fires may reach
temperatures of several thousand
degrees
 House fires seldom exceed 1200 F
(649 C), at this temperature it is
unlikely adult body will burn
completely
 Even though external body is charred
and unrecognizable, internal organs are
usually intact and liquid blood for DNA,
toxicology, and carbon monoxide
testing is present
• Teeth will usually be in excellent
condition for identification purposes
Body of obese person will burn
more completely than thin person
because fat acts as accelerant
 When body is
exposed to heat,
muscles contract and
draw arms and legs
into bent position
This position has
been compared to the
stance of a pugilist -
boxer
 This burned position is
referred to as “pugilistic Contracted
attitude” muscles of
upper & lower
extremities
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113
 CAUSES OF DEATH DUE TO
INJURIES
Primary/Immediate causes
- Neurogenic shock – resulting to hypotension, may lead
to organ dysfunction

- Injury to vital organs

- Hemorrhage.
Secondary/Remote causes - Infection
- Thromboembolism- formation of blood clot
inside blood vessel obstructing flow of blood to
the circulatory system.
- Acceleration of pre existing disease

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- Professional medical negligence.
 Rules Must Always Be Observed By The
Physician In The Examination Of The
Wounds

1. All injuries must be described, however

small for it may be important later.
2. The description of the wounds must be
comprehensive, and if possible sketch or
photograph must be take.
3. The examination must not be influenced
by any other information obtained from
others in making report or a conclusion.

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Outline Of The Medico-legal Investigation Of
Physical Injuries
1. General Investigation of the Surrounding
a. Examination of the place where the crime was committed.
b. Examination of the clothings’, stains, cuts, hair and other
foreign bodies that can be found in the scene of the
crime.
c. Investigation of those persons who may be witnesses to
the incident or those who could give light to the case.
d. Examination of the wounding instrument
e. Photography, sketching, or accurate description of the
scene of the crime for the purpose of preservation.

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2. Examination of the Wounded Body
a. Examination that are applicable to the living
and dead victim:
1. Age of the wound from the degree of healing
2. Determination of the weapon used inn the
commission of the offense.
3. Reason for the multiplicity of wounds in
cases where there are more than one
wound.
4. Determination whether the injury is
accidental, suicidal or homicidal.

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b. Examination that are applicable only to the
living:
 Determination whether the injury is dangerous
to life
 Determination whether the injury will produce
permanent deformity
 Determination whether the wound(s) produced
shock.
 Determination whether the injury will produce
complication as a consequence.

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c. Examination that are applicable to the dead victim
1. Determination whether the wound is ante-
mortem or post-mortem
2. Determination whether the wound is mortal or
not.
3. Determination whether death is accelerated by
disease or some abnormal developments
which are present at the time of the infliction of
the wound.
4. Determination whether the wound was caused
by accident, suicide or homicide.

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3. Examination of the Wound:
• The ff. must be included in the examination of
the wound.
a. Character of the Wound
 Description of the wound e.g. abrasion,
contusion, hematoma, lacerated etc.
 It includes the size, shape, nature of the edges,
extremities and other characteristic marks.
 The presence of contusion collar in case of
gunshot wound of entrance, scab formation in
abrasion and other open wounds, infection, etc.
must also be stated.

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b. Location of the Wound
 State what region of the body
 Measure the distance of the wound from some fixed
point of the body prominence to facilitate reconstruction.
(this is important in determining the trajectory or course of
the wounding weapon inside the body
c. Depth of the Wound
 Determination of the exact depth of the wound must be
attempted in the living subject- it will prejudice the health
or life.
 No attempt must be made in measuring the stabbed
wound of the abdomen because of the movability of the
abdominal wall.

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d. Condition of the Surrounding of wound.
 The gunshot wound near or contact fire will produce
burning or tattooing of the surrounding.
 In suicidal wound there may be superficial tentative cuts
(hesitation cuts)
 Lacerated wound may show contusion of the
neighboring skin.
e. Direction of the Wound
 The direction of the wound is material in the
determination of the relative position of the victim and
the offender when such wound has been inflicted.
 The direction of the incised wound of the anterior aspect
of the neck may differentiate whether it is homicidal or
suicidal.

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f. Number of wounds
 Several wound found in different parts of the
body are generally indicative
g. Condition of the Locality
 Degree of hemorrhage
 Evidence of struggle
 Information as to position of the body
 Presence of letter or suicide note
 Condition of the weapon

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Determination Whether The Wounds Were
Inflicted During Life Or After Death
Factors must be taken into consideration:
1. Hemorrhage
 As a general rule, hemorrhage is more profuse when the
wound was inflicted during the lifetime of the victim.
 After death – the amount of bleeding is less if at all
bleeding occurred. ( this is due to loss of tone of blood
vessels, absence of heart action, and post-mortem
clotting of blood inside the blood vessels).
2. Signs of Inflammation
 Swelling of the area surrounding the wound, effusion of
lymph or pus an adhesion of the edges.
 Post-mortem wounds do not show any manifestation,

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signs of vital reaction.
3. Signs of Repair
 Fibrin formation, growth or epithelium, scab or scar
formation conclusively show that the wound was
inflicted during lifetime.
 But the absence of signs repair does not show that
the injury was inflicted after death.
 The tissue may not have been given ample time to
repair itself before death took place.
4. Retraction of the edges of the Wound:
 During life – the edges of the wound inflicted during
life retract and cause of gaping (wide open)
 After death – the edged do not gape and are closely
approximated to each other because the skin and the
muscles have lost their contractility.

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 Determination Whether The Wounds
Are Homicidal, Suicidal, Or Accidental

1. AS TO NATURE OF THE WOUND INFLICTED:

A. Abrasions:
 Accidental – always suggestive of accidental
death esp. due to traffic accident.
 Suicidal death – abrasion are rarely observed.
 Murder – abrasion are not common except
when the body is dragged on the ground.
 Homicide – abrasion may commonly be
observed especially when the victim offered
some degree of resistance to the attacker.

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B. Contusion:
Suicidal death – rarely observed, except when
the suicidal act was by jumping from a height.
 A person contemplating to commit suicide will not
choose a blunt instrument.
Accidental death – may found in any portion of
the body
 It is often due to a fall and due to a forcible contact
with some hard object.
C. Incised Wound
Suicide / Homicide– commonly observed.
Accidental - accidental cuts frequently
occurrences, but rarely as a cause of death.

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