Retrospective Evaluation of Forensic Reports Issued Due to Traffic Accident Injuries in Kütahya Province in the Years 2020-2021

Retrospective Evaluation of Forensic Reports Issued Due to Traffic Accident Injuries in Kütahya Province in the Years 2020–2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics, accident-related features, injury conditions, and forensic reports of traffic accident cases presenting to the emergency department of Kütahya Health Sciences University (KSBÜ) Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital in the years 2020–2021.

Method

The forensic reports and medical records of a total of 1758 cases who presented to the Emergency Service of Kütahya Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital due to traffic accidents between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021 were retrospectively evaluated after obtaining ethics committee approval. Mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage values were used for data analysis, and the chi-square test was applied. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The chi-square test was used to evaluate the data. A p-value of <0.05 was accepted as the level of statistical significance.

Results

Of the 1758 cases included in the study, 70.9% were male and 29.1% were female, with a mean age of 34.6 ± 18.2 years. The rate of alcohol use among drivers was 7.7%. According to forensic reports, 69.4% of the lesions in the cases could be resolved with simple medical intervention (SMI), while 9.4% involved injuries that endangered the person’s life. Fractures were detected in 27.4% of the cases, and organ injuries in 7.6%. Injuries to the chest region were significantly more common in in-vehicle traffic accidents, whereas lower extremity fractures and head and neck injuries were significantly more frequent in out-of-vehicle traffic accidents. The presence of fractures in pedestrians involved in non-vehicular traffic accidents was significantly higher.

Conclusion

The fact that individuals affected by traffic accidents are predominantly young, male, and active in working life leads to serious rehabilitation costs and loss of workforce in addition to direct healthcare expenses. Reporting in traffic accidents holds an important place in forensic medicine practices. Due care and attention should be exercised in the preparation of forensic reports, and the importance of this issue in terms of judicial investigation and prosecution processes should be emphasized.

Keywords: traffic accident, forensic report, organ injury, bone fracture