Motor vehicle - pedestrian occupational accident: A case report study

A rare case of serious non-fatal pedestrian-motor vehicle accident in the constructions sector is described, leading to severe orthopedic trauma and disability. A 49-year-old male worker was admitted to the orthopedic department due to reported occupational injury. The accident occurred at the workplace during the construction of a cycling road, where the victim as pedestrian was referred to be crashed by a motor vehicle at his left lower extremity. He consequently fell on the ground and the vehicle drifted his whole limb with its caterpillar. The patient bore occupational trauma with extensive avulsion and degloving injury of the left lower extremity, extensive hematoma formation of the extreme foot, subtalar and tarsometatarsal dislocation, open fracture of the ankle joint, intraarticular calcaneal fracture, potential vascular injury (segmentation) of the posterior tibial artery, while peroneal and dorsalis pedis arteries were identified intact in Doppler examination of the lower limb. Construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries, concerning the occupational fatality rates. Occupational injury is the leading cause of morbidity in the employed population and adversely affects productivity. Forensic evaluation focuses on the mechanism and biomechanics of the injury and enlightens the potential contribution of external factors. The forensic approach adds to the understanding of a single occupational incident and, thus, the establishment of more effective preventive strategies and the improvement of safety regulations at workplace.