Types of Injuries and their Forensic significance

An injury is define as any harm, whatever illegally caused to any person in body, mind, reputation or property as per Indian Panel Code (Sec. 44). Clinically its defined as solution or disruption of the anatomical continuity of any tissues of the body or in forensic science terms, the injuries/wounds are produced by physical violence, which break of the natural continuity of any of the tissues of the living body. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be cause by Trama or Troture. Trauma is any physical or psychological injury and Torture is infliction of intense pain to punish, coerce, or affordable sadistic pleasure. Injury mechanism refers to the various forces commonly associated with trauma (i.e., projectile, sharp, blunt, thermal and poly trauma). Accurate identification of mechanism is dependent on pattern recognition as well as the contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that dictate the way wounds/injuries.

TYPES OF INJURIES/WOUNDS

A wound/injury to the body occurs when the force applied to the body is greater than the body’s ability to absorb such force. Injuries can be define in various froms depending upon factors. The aetiological classification indcluds Mechanical, Thermal and Chemical injuries. Medico-legal classification is based on three grounds: severity, mode of death and moment of death. Injuries based on severity: simple and grievous injuries, based on mode of death: suicidal, homicidal and accidental injuries and based on moment of death: ante-mortem and postmortem.

Mechanical Injury

These are cause by mechanical factors include the use of weapons or instruments such as knives, screwdrivers, scissors, razor blade, glass or guns and injuries results from falls, traffic accident or domestic violence. Mechanical Injury are sub classified into – Blunt force injury, sharpe force and firearm injury. Blunt force injury are sub catergorized in Abrasion, Contusion, lacerations and Fractures & dislocation. Sharp force injury contains – Incised wound, Chop wounds and stab wounds.

Thermal Injury

Thermal Injury are skin injuries caused by excessive heat, typically from contact with hot surfaces, hot liquids, steam, or flame. Most burns are minor and patients can be treated as outpatients or at local hospitals. Thermal burns may cause by due to excessive cold which freez tissue. These can be Frost bite and Frostnip. Thermal injuries can be divided into six different categories: chemical burns, electrical burns, fire-related burns, radiation burns, scalds (typically caused by steam or hot liquids), and contact burns.

Chemical Injury

Chemical Injury are injuries to the skin, eyes, mouth, or internal organs caused by contact with a corrosive substance. They may also be called caustic burns. Chemical burns can happen in the home, at work, or at school. They can result from an accident or an assault.

Forensic significance

Injury plays the important role while investigation the crime. They can indicate the following facts –

• They Indicates site of impact and direction of the force.
• They may be the only external signs of a serious internal injury.
• Patterned of injury are helpful in connecting the crime with the object which produced them.
• The age of the injury by their characterstics.
• In open wounds dirt, dust, grease or grit are usually present, which may connect the injuries to the scene of crime.
• Manner of injury may be known from its distribution.
• Injuries can indicate the weapon used.

Simple injury or hurt causes bodily pain, disease or infirmity to any person for a short period and it does not endanger life. On contrary, grievous hurt is caused by certain conditions as mentioned under Section 320 of IPC.

• Emasculation
• Permanent privation of the sight of either eye
• Permanent privation of the hearing of either ear
• Privation of any member or joint
• Destruction or permanent impairing of the powers
• Permanent disfiguration of the head or face
• Fracture or dislocation of a bone or teeth
• Any hurt: Which endangers life
• Which causes the suffer to be during to be during the space of 20 days in severe bodily pain, Unable to follow his ordinary pursuits