Skin injuries often reveal crucial details about the cause and nature of an incident. As the largest organ in the body, the skin offers a wealth of information when trauma occurs, providing key insights into the mechanism of injury. By understanding these mechanisms, we can effectively connect a doctor’s diagnosis with the actual cause of the injury.
Skin injuries can range from superficial wounds to deep, full-thickness damage reaching down to the bone. These injuries include:
The patterns of skin injuries play a vital role in biomechanical investigations, offering critical data on impact location, force, direction, contact duration, and exposure to heat, cold, or electrical energy. They also provide insights into the use of restraints or implements. Common cases involving skin injury analysis include product liability (e.g., heating pads, heated foot baths), electrical shorts, sharp edges, handcuff injuries, physical abuse, motor vehicle accidents, and slip/trip and fall incidents.
If you are currently developing a civil or criminal case and you need to determine mechanism of injury and who may be at fault, please feel free to contact me at any time to receive my CV; alternatively, we can discuss a case at avangura@biomechanics-expert.com or 724-255-7176.
