The Documentation of Injuries Caused by Traffic Accidents.

BACKGROUND: Persons 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. METHODS: This 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). RESULTS: Injuries 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. CONCLUSION: The 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.

Head impact kinematics and injury risks during E-scooter collisions against a curb.

E-scooters as a mode of transportation is rapidly growing in popularity. This study evaluates head impact conditions and injury risk associated with E-scooter crashes. A multibody model of E-scooter falls induced by wheel-curb collision was built and compared with an experimental E-scooter crash test. A total of 162 crash scenarios were simulated to assess the effect of fall conditions (E-scooter initial speed and inclination, obstacle orientation, and user size) on the head impact kinematics. The forehead hit the ground first in 44% of simulations. The average tangential and normal impact speeds were 3.5 m/s and 4.8 m/s respectively. Nearly 100% of simulations identified a risk of concussion (linear acceleration peak >82 g and rotational acceleration peak >6383 rad/s2) and 90% of simulations suggested a risk of severe head injuries (HIC>700). This work provides preliminary data useful for the assessment and design of protective gears.