Citation

Albalooshi YM, Sherif HM, Alzarooni SM, Alqassim MA. Int. J. Legal Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00414-020-02457-z

PMID

33206217

Abstract

The purpose of this case report was to demonstrate a fatal motor vehicle accident in which a 33-year-old man died at the scene immediately after his car collided with the roadside curbstone at a normal speed. The autopsy of the deceased body revealed a penetrating injury on the neck as he was struck by the deployed airbag. Pathological examination showed the offending material to be a fractured cylinder-shaped metal piece, which had settled within the fourth cervical vertebral body. Further forensic engineering investigation of the airbag unit found that the metal fragment originated from a defective airbag gas generator, which had exploded upon deployment. These findings reflect on the increasing popularity of airbag-associated trauma across the globe in recent years. We suggest an effective management plan for the evaluation and mitigation of the complications associated with airbag-related incidents.

Language: en

Keywords

Autopsy; Case report; Airbag inflation; Car accident; Forensic engineering