Citation

Pircher R, Epting T, Schmidt U, Geisenberger D, Pollak S, Kramer L. Forensic Sci. Int. 2015; 249C: 42-46.

Affiliation

Institute of Forensic Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Albertstrasse 9, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.01.010

PMID

25659117

Abstract

A traffic accident victim run over by a vehicle may show a patterned skin hematoma reflecting the grooves of the tire's profile. Apart from this well-known type of imprint mark, the affected skin can also be blistered provided that the wheel exerts high pressure on the body for a prolonged period of time. The macro- and micromorphological findings as well as the protein composition of the blister fluid were investigated on the basis of a relevant autopsy case. Analogous to blisters associated with hanging marks, the transudation of serous fluid with consecutive detachment of the epidermis is interpreted as a pressure-related effect which cannot be regarded as a sign of vitality.

Language: en