THE CONTRIBUTION OF MEDICO-LEGAL EXPERTISE TO THE INVESTIGATION OF ROAD ACCIDENTS

C. A. Stan, G. Decu

Abstract: The activity of legal medicine is an integrated part of the medical assistance provided to the population, but it also represents a link between medicine-police-justice and other fields related to the act of justice when medical aspects have an important role in solving the case.
The conduct of the medico-legal activities within a road accident investigation will include both analysis reports and, above all, medico-legal expertise that are necessary at all stages of the criminal or civil trial.
This activity is particularly complex and with a high degree of responsibility, including on an international level, providing scientific evidences for establishing the legal classifications of the criminal acts committed by the authors of road accidents and for assessing the compensations to be awarded to the victims.
Conclusions. The activity of the forensic doctor in traffic accidents usually includes: the assessment of the severity of the bodily injuries and the physical injuries of the victim, the reconstruction of the mechanisms of traumatic injuries and, less often, the dynamics of the traffic accident. Other evidences of a medico-legal nature useful for the criminal process are: determination of blood alcohol level and the presence of drugs or psychoactive substances, recalculation of blood alcohol level, establishing the state of influence of psychoactive substances or drugs on the ability to drive, the medico-legal expertise of the driving ability.
Keywords: road accidents, medico-legal expertise, blood alcohol level, drugs.