CONTACT US: Contact info
|
Citation |
Ramesh KV, Venati J. Indian J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2017; 11(2): 66-69. |
|
Copyright |
(Copyright © 2017, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Deptartment of Forensic Medicine) |
|
DOI |
|
PMID |
unavailable |
|
Abstract |
In India about one lakh thirty thousand deaths occur annually due to road traffic accidents and many women suffer from injuries due to domestic injuries. It is important that doctors working in different hospitals and the police work hand in hand to help the injured. Our legal system has to correct loop holes in the legal procedures to avoid people losing their lives waiting for treatment in medicolegal cases. A medico legal case is when a person gets injured or harmed in any way and needs medical attention. It also means Injury cases which suggest some criminal offense. Following are classified as medicolegal cases like burn injuries, vehicular accidents including railways and other modes of transport, suspected homicide/ murder, poisoning, sexual assault and criminal abortion. Unconscious patient due to unknown reasons, brought dead or die shortly after admission in the hospital without proper medical documents to indicate cause of death also come under medicolegal cases. Patient dying suddenly following administration of medication or when death occurs in the ICU or during surgery can also be classified under medico legal cases. A medical autopsy is a must to be ordered under all the above circumstances. It is the legal duty of the treating doctor to report it to the nearest police station immediately after completing primary lifesaving medical care in all medicolegal cases. This is in accordance with Section 39 of Criminal Procedure Code of India. The basic idea is to initiate legal proceeding at the earliest so that maximum evidence can be collected by the police officer. Immediate action by the police also helps to avoid the destruction of evidence by the treating doctor. © 2017, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved. Language: en |
|
Keywords |
Accident; Assault; Death; Evidence; Homicide; Injuries; Medico legal case; Poisoning; Road traffic accident etc; Suicide |