The importance of medico-legal autopsies. An analysis of the complex problems regarding damages.
One hundred forty-four medico-legal autopsies were performed at the University Institute of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen during the period 1973-77, all requested by the National Office of Social Security in order to estimate whether the cause of death could be related to the work of the deceased. The total number of medico-legal autopsies in the same period was 4050. The material included only four women. One hundred seventeen men died during work, 26 cases were accepted. Clear cases of accidents were always accepted and damages were paid. In cases where the deceased died on his way to or from work damages were rejected. Nineteen men (13%) had died after returning to their homes. Two cases among these were accepted (fall from scaffolding during working hours, arsenic poisoning where death occurred later in hospital). The mean age of the group was about 50 years, which is less than in an average medico-legal population. In all cases but two the autopsy revealed the cause of death, i.e. that unknown causes of death totalled 1.4%. The manner of death was elucidated in all cases. The most frequent cause of death in men turned out to be coronary sclerosis and coronary thrombosis. All such cases were rejected as being due to working conditions, because in no case was extraordinary working stress found to be evident. The two cases of death which occurred at home showed the importance of being aware of injuries due to working conditions, even if death could not be directly related to an industrial accident.
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged