An analysis of the relationship between bodily injury severity and fall height in victims of fatal falls from height

• Main Authors: Grzegorz Teresiński, Anna Milaszkiewicz, Tomasz Cywka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Termedia Publishing House 2017-03-01
• Series: Archives of Forensic Medicine and Criminology
• Subjects: fall from a height; suicide; accident; Abbreviated Injury Scale; Injury Severity Score; forensic expertise
• Online Access: https://www.termedia.pl/An-analysis-of-the-relationship-between-bodily-injury-severity-and-fall-height-in-victims-of-fatal-falls-from-height,82,29600,1,1.html
• ISSN: 0324-8267; 1689-1716

Aim of the study : One of the basic issues discussed in forensic literature regarding falls from a height is determination of fall heights and differentiation between suicidal and accidental falls. The aim of the study was to verify the usefulness of the available methods for the purposes of forensic expertises. Material and methods : The study encompassed fatalities of falls from a height whose autopsies were performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Lublin. Results : Similarly to other authors, the severity of injuries was assessed using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and injury severity score (ISS). The study findings demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between the fall height and the severity of injuries according to ISS and a statistically significant difference in fall heights between the groups of accidents and suicides.