Citation

Balfour AJC. J. Occup. Accid. 1981; 3(3): 187-193.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The medical investigation of accidents is less well seen in the investigation of road accidents than of fatal aircraft accidents; although there are fewer deaths the latter are generally more fully investigated because of the public interest, the high cost of aircraft and crews, and the evident need to find out all the facts about today's accident if tomorrow's is to be prevented. After fatal accidents the pathologist is the member of the investigation team trying to save lives by helping to find out the cause of the accident, and in particular by seeking any medical factors which may have caused or contributed to the accident -- such as disease in the crew or toxic hazards due to alcohol, fumes, pesticides etc; and by correlating the injuries and the equipment used so as to trace the sequence of events, and by seeking means of improving safety in future impacts. The police, acting for the coroner, are responsible for dealing with fatal accidents and the pathologist works with them, identifying the casualties and the causes of their deaths; often the medical evidence is available early on and may give a lead to the Accidents Investigation Branch which the engineers confirm or disprove later. But lives can only be saved if everybody investigating the accident works together as a team.