Medico-legal characterization of traffic accident victims

Authors

Keywords:

traffic accident; injury; death

Abstract

Introduction: A traffic accident is defined as any event that causes harm to people or property, involving the direct or indirect use of at least one motorized or animal-drawn vehicle on the road.

Objective: To characterize traffic accidents in the southern area of ​​Ciego de Ávila province.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study with a medicolegal focus was conducted on traffic accidents that occurred from January 2020 to December 2024 in the southern area of ​​Ciego de Ávila province. A total of 677 victims, including those injured and deceased, were studied using the following variables: age, sex, type of victim, type of traffic accident, affected region, and cause of death. Data were collected from records archived at the provincial Forensic Medicine service. The results are presented in frequency tables.

Results: The age range of the victims was 36 to 59 years (68,7%); males predominated (70,5%). The most prevalent type of victim was the injured with 576 cases. The most common type of traffic accident was pedestrian accidents (38,4%). Among the affected areas in these accidents, traumatic brain injury was the most common (36,2%), and in the case of fatalities, injury to the upper nervous system was the most frequent direct cause of death, accounting for 62,4%.

Conclusions: The most frequent type of accident was pedestrian accidents. Traumatic brain injuries were the most common. Injury to the central nervous system or vital organs was the leading cause of death.

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References

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Published

2026-05-21

How to Cite

1.
Pérez Aguilar M, Alejandro, Yailé. Medico-legal characterization of traffic accident victims. Rev. cuba. med. mil [Internet]. 2026 May 21 [cited 2026 May 26];55(2):e026077227. Available from: https://revmedmilitar.sld.cu/index.php/mil/article/view/77227

Issue

Vol. 55 No. 2 (2026): April - June (In Progress...)

Section

Clinical Practice Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Marian Pérez Aguilar, Alejandro Rodríguez Ramos, Yailé González Santos

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