[Concealed and simulated trauma fatalities(II)]

A careful investigation of fatal accidents is required due to the relevant financial consequences for the insured as well as for the insurance company. An evaluation of post-mortem cases handled by our institute from 1988 to 1998 showed that 16% of all fatal accidents were not initially classified as such; it was only possible to determine the cause by post-mortem and criminal investigation. The frequency of a relevant alcoholization varied with different types of accidents. Furthermore, of all fatal accidents, 3% were revealed to be deceptive. Those 42 cases in total, presenting themselves as fatal accidents at first glance, were later determined either to be natural deaths (n = 27), homicide (n = 11) or suicide (n = 4). In addition to this, autopsies showed 83 cases of death to be sequelae to accidents. Particularly in cases of a victim plunging out of the window or into water, it can be difficult to make the distinction between natural death--e.g. as a reason for falling--and suicide or homicide. Further difficulties can result from interpretations of the findings in cases of putrefaction, mauling by animals, defects caused by burning or severely deformed corpses. In these cases, the importance of patho-morphological findings from the autopsy must be emphasized. Indirect sequelae of accidents may be pulmonary embolism or pneumonia. The cause of death has to be classified as accidental if the chain of events is of traumatic origin. Mistakes can be avoided if the medical history is taken conscientiously. If no facts are available, the cause of death should be certificated as undetermined. Our evaluation only included autopsy cases from our institute. The concealed fatal accidents which were incorrectly certified as natural deaths or the cases dismissed by the police and the public prosecutor without performing an autopsy were not evaluated.