[Expert errors in formulating a forensic diagnosis and conclusions in cases of diffuse axonal brain damage]

The study objective is to review expert errors in the wording of a post-mortem diagnosis and expert conclusions in cases of traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal brain damage. We reviewed 50 corpse examinations of those who died from a traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal brain damage. A retrospective analysis of the results of expert examinations, the structure of the post-mortem forensic diagnosis, and the validity of expert conclusions showed that expert errors were made in 30% of cases. In 93% of cases, the errors were epistemological due to the lack of a scientifically based methodological approach to the expert opinion on a particular mechanism for the development of traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal brain damage; and lack of professional expertise. A case is provided demonstrating the most common expert errors in the examination of this type of traumatic brain injury.