[Features of damage to the body parts in bicycle riders when falling from moving bicycles]

The study objective is to analyze the results of forensic medical examination (FME) of fatal cases of falling off a bicycle (9 cases) and a similar non-fatal injury (18 cases). All cases were males aged 8 to 74 years. Of the 27 cases, 6 were children aged 8-17 years. Head and chest injuries were the most common. The nature and localization of these injuries, along with strip-like, linear and parallel abrasions on the skin of the anterolateral surface of the body, indicated that they were a result of collisions and slips of the victim's body on the road surface. A few cases of penetrating injury of the abdomen with internal organs damage were observed; they were related to the impact of the handlebars and were the most characteristic of this type of injury. The data presented may help distinguish the fall of bicycle riders from other types of accidents, in particular from collisions between moving vehicles and pedestrians. The nature of the identified injuries can be considered when providing medical care to the victims.