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LM7 - Medico-Legal Aspects of Physical Injuries
LM7 - Medico-Legal Aspects of Physical Injuries
MEDICO-LEGAL
ASPECTS
OF PHYSICAL INJURIES
• Wound
• Dissolution of the natural continuity of any
tissue of the living body
• Effect of the application of physical violence on
a person
• Effect of the physical violence may not always
result to wound production but the wound is
always the effect of physical violence
Physics of Wound Production
• Wound = Kinetic Energy x Time x Area x
“other factors”
• Vital Reaction
• Sum total of all reactions of tissue or organ to trauma:
• Cardinal Signs of Inflammation
• Rubor (Redness)
• Calor (Sensation of Heat)
• Dolor (Pain)
• Tumor (Tumor)
• Laesa functio (Loss of Function)
Vital Reaction
2) Perforating – 2 meanings
a. Wounding agent produces communication between
inner and outer portion of the hollow organs
b. Piercing or traversing completely as particular part
of the body causing communication between the
points of entry and exit of the instrument or
substance producing it
Classification of Wounds
• Mayhem
• Unlawful and violent deprival of another of the
use of a part of the body so as to render him
able in fighting either to defend himself or to
annoy his adversary
• Mutilation of other parts of the body other than
the organ of reproduction may be classified as
mayhem
• But if not deliberate, serious physical injuries
Serious Physical Injuries – Art.
263, RPC
• Any person who shall wound, beat or assault
another shall be guilty of SPI & shall suffer
• Penalty of prision mayor, as consequence of the SPI,
the injured shall become insane, imbecile, impotent, or
blind
• Penalty of prision correccional, in its medium and
maximum periods, injured shall have lost the use of
speech, power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost one
eye, a hand, a foot, an arm, or a leg or shall lost the use
of any such member or shall become incapacitated for
the work he was theretofor habitually engaged
Serious Physical Injuries – Art.
263, RPC
• Any person who shall wound, beat or assault
another shall be guilty of SPI & shall suffer
• Penalty of prision correccional, in its minimum &
medium periods, shall have become deformed, loss any
other part of body or the lost thereof, have been ill or
incapacitated for work which he was habitually
engaged for a period of more than ninety days
Serious Physical Injuries – Art.
263, RPC
• Any person who shall wound, beat or
assault another shall be guilty of SPI &
shall suffer
• Penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period
to prision correccional in its minimum period,
if the physical injuries inflicted shall have
caused the illness or incapacity for labor of the
injured for more than thirty days
Serious Physical Injuries – Art.
263, RPC
• Crimes may be due to
• Wounding
• Beating
• Assaulting
• Administration of injurious substances without
the intent to kill
• Note: par..3 and 4 of Art. 363, RPC no mentioned
periods of medication attendance but merely
incapacity
Less Serious Physical Injuries
- Art. 265, RPC
• More or less than 10 days but not more than 30
days incapacity or medical attendance
• Proof of period of medical attendance or period o
incapacity.
• Basis to detention whether Physical Injuries is less serious or
not medico-legal aspects of Physical Injuries-coverage of
M.T.E.
• The fact that injury requires only medical treatment for 2 days
but incapacitated the victim for 28 days makes the crime less
serious physical injuries
• In the absence of proof of medical attendance or incapacity,
fact that the wound healed more than 30 days makes only the
crime of slight Physical injuries
Less Serious Physical Injuries
• Crime of LSPI may be qualified & a Fine or
a Higher Penalty is imposed when:
• A manifest intent to insult or to offend
• Circumstances adding ignominy to the offense
• Victim is the offender’s parents, ascendants,
guardian, curator or teacher
• Victim is a person of rank or in authority,
provided crime is not direct assault
Slight Physical Injuries – Art.
265 RPC
• Kinds:
• Physical Injuries which incapacitate victim for labor
from 1-9 days or require medical attendance for the
same period
• Requires medical certificate as to the duration of
medical attendance, or period of incapacity. In case of
divergency in the duration of medical attendance and
incapacity, the physician must always consider the best
interest of the victim in the determination of the period
Slight Physical Injuries
• Physical Injuries which did not incapacitate or
require medical attention.
• Ill-treatment of another by deed without causing
injury
• Review Physical Injuries inflicted in
Tumultuous Affray Art. 252
Types of Wounds
• Closed Wounds
• Superficial
• Petechiae
• Contusion
• Hematoma
• Deep
• Musculoskeletal Injuries
• Fracture
• Dislocation
• Subluxation
• Sprain
• Strain
Types of Wounds
• Closed Wounds
• Deep
• Internal Hemorrhage
• Cerebral concussion
• Open Wound
• Abrasion
• Incised wound
• Stab wound
• Punctured
• Lacerated
Types of Wounds
A. Closed Wounds – no breach in continuity of skin
• Superficial – wound is within skin / mucous
membrane
• Petechiae
• circumscribed extravasation of blood in subcutaneous tissue
• Contusion
• effusion of blood into the tissues underneath the skin on
account of the rupture of the blood vessels as a result of the
application of blunt force or violence
Closed Wounds
• Contusion
• Age of contusion can be appreciated from its color
changes
• Red or sometimes purple
• Green – 4 to 5 days
• Yellow – 7 to 10 days then disappears
• Hematoma
• extravasation or effusion of blood in a newly formed
cavity underneath the skin.
Closed Wound
• Distinction between Contusion and
Hematoma:
• In contusion the effused blood are
accumulated in the interstices of the tissue
underneath the skin, while in hematoma
blood accumulates in a newly formed cavity
underneath the skin
Closed Wound
• Contusion, skin shows no elevated – if only slight
acct. of inflammatory, while in hematoma – skin
always elevated
• Contusion – aspiration with syringe – no blood can
be obtained; aspiration of blood is positive in
hematoma
• Abscess, gangrene, hypertrophy, fibroid,
thickening, and even malignancy are potential
complications of hematoma.
• Ecchymosis – “kiss mark”, a type of hematoma
Closed Wound
• Deep:
• Musculo-Skeletal Injuries:
• Sprain – partial or complete disruption in the continuity of a
ligamentous support of a joint. Caused by blow, kick or
torsion force
• Strain – partial or complete disruption in the continuity of a
muscle or tendon. Caused by blow, kick or torsion force
• Dislocation – complete displacement of the articular surface
of bones
• Subluxation – partial or incomplete dislocation of a joint
Closed Wound
• Fracture – dissolution of continuity of bone
resulting from violence or existing pathology
• Types:
a. closed or simple
b. open or compound
c. Comminuted Fracture
d. Greenstick Fracture
e. Linear Fracture
f. Spiral fracture
g. Pathologic Fracture
Closed Wound
• Internal Hemorrhage
• Caused by rupture of blood vessel due to
trauma, eg,
• Intracranial hemorrhage
• Rupture of parenchymatous organs
• Laceration of other parts of the body
• Cerebral Concussion (commotio cerebri)
• Stunning or jarring of the brain characterized
by more or less complete suspension of its
functions, as a result of injury to the head,
which leads to some commotion of the cerebral
substance
• loss of memory for events just before the injury
Mechanism of Injury to the Brain
Open Wound
• Breach in the continuity of the skin or
mucous membrane.
• Abrasion (Scratch, Graze, Impression Mark,
Friction Mark)
• Injury characterized by the removal of the
superficial epithelial layer of the skin caused by a
rub or friction against hard, rough surface
• May be associated with contusion if there is forcible
contact
Characteristics of Open
Wound
• develops at the precise point of impact
• injury consist of parallel linear of the rub or
friction causing it
• may exhibit the pattern of the wounding material
• usually ignored by attending physician for it does
not require medical treatment but it has far-
reaching importance in the medico-legal
viewpoint
• abrasion heals in a short time and leaves no scar
Medico-legal Importance of
Abrasions
• abrasions caused by fingernails may indicate
struggle or assault, usu located in the face, neck,
forearms & hands
• Abrasions from friction on rough surfaces usually
located in bony parts of the body associated with
contusions and laceration
• nature of abrasions may infer degree of pressure,
nature of rubbing object and the direction of
movement
Abrasion
• FORMS OF ABRASION
• Linear
• multi-linear
• confluent
• multiple
Types of Abrasion
1. Scratch – sharp pointed object which
slides over skin
2. Graze – forcible contact
3. Impact or Imprint Abrasion (Patterned
abrasion, stamping abrasion or “abrasion a
la signature”)
4. Pressure or Friction Abrasions – hanging
or strangulation
Types of Abrasion
• Patterned abrasion, stamping abrasion or
“abrasion a la signature”
• Marks of the grid of radiator
• Tire thread marks
• Muzzle imprint – contact piercing
• Teeth impression – skin bites
Other types of Open Wounds
• Stab wound
• produced by the penetration of a sharp-pointed
and sharp-edged instrument, like a knife, saber,
dagger, scissors
• if sharp-edged portion is the first to come in contact
with the skin – incised wound produced.
• If sharp-pointed – first –stab wound produced
Stab Wound
• Like incised wound edges are clean-cut, regular
and distinct
• Surface length – reflect/withdrawal – not same
direction as introduction or stabbing
accompanied by slashing movement
• Direction of the surface defect may be useful in
determination of relative position of the offender
and the victim when the wound was inflicted
• Hemorrhage is always the most serious
consequence of a stab wound
Description of the stab wound,
the ff. must be included:
• Length of skin defect, abrasion tailing –
measured separately- infers direction of
withdrawal of the wounding weapon
• Condition of the extremities-
• Condition of the edges- one stabbing act –
edges regular and clear cut
• Several stabbing act – edges serrated or
zigzag
Description of the stab wound,
the ff. must be included:
Caption
Caption
Caption
Caption