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Simon’s hemorrhages in a case of a fatal construction site accident as the result of body hyperextension in the upside-down position – a possible reconstruction of the injury mechanism

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Abstract

An accident occurred at a construction site and a 27-year-old worker was fatally injured. Equipped with personal protective equipment (helmet and a safety belt), he was standing on an 8-meter-high platform holding a large hose that was attached to a pipe connected to a concrete pump truck. Whilst in use the pipe broke and the hose sent the man flying with force, knocking down the platform railing. Autopsy examination showed that man fell to the ground landing on his head. Prominent Simon’s hemorrhages were noted on the L5-S1 and L4-L5 intervertebral discs. When the hose threw the man from the platform, for one brief moment he was suspended in the air, with the safety belt tied firmly to his waist. Simon’s hemorrhages most probably emerged at that moment, due to forceful hyperextension and traction of the body in the upside-down position. A relatively unexpected appearance of Simon’s hemorrhages contributed to the reconstruction of the injury mechanism.

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Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Grant No. 45005.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade – School of Medicine, 31a Deligradska str., Belgrade, 11000, Serbia

    Danica Cvetković, Vladimir Živković & Slobodan Nikolić

Authors
  1. Danica Cvetković
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  2. Vladimir Živković
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  3. Slobodan Nikolić
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Slobodan Nikolić.

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The authors hereby declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Cvetković, D., Živković, V. & Nikolić, S. Simon’s hemorrhages in a case of a fatal construction site accident as the result of body hyperextension in the upside-down position – a possible reconstruction of the injury mechanism. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 15, 296–299 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-018-0062-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-018-0062-z

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