title: [Secondary victimization of traffic accident victims: getting buried without the declaration of forensic case and without having performed autopsy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, it was aimed to analyze the cases of traffic accident related deaths, buried without performing autopsy, in order to increase awareness of the physicians about declaration liability of forensic cases and also emphasize the declaration of the forensic case and autopsy importance.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the First Specialization Board of Council of Forensic Medicine, 542 cases of death, reported between the years 2004-2008, who were involved in traffic accidents and buried without an autopsy performed, were evaluated retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 69.4% of the cases (n=376) were males, whereas %30.6 (n=166) were females; mean age was 58.5±20.9 (range, 3-98 years). Age 61 and above was the most frequent age group with 301 cases (55.5%). Of the cases, 336 (62.0%) had died in hospital, 241 (44.5%) had died in 1-12 months following the accident and medico-legal corpse examination was performed only in 123 (22.9%) cases. Three hundred fourty-four (63.5%) of the cases were not reported as forensic cases and death certificate was signed by any physician other than medical examiner without being declared as a legal case. According to the decisions of Board, since an autopsy was not duly performed, the cause of death could not be determined for 95 cases (17.5%) and for 57 cases (10.5%), it was not possible to determine whether there was causality between the accident and death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings emphasize the importance of declaration of forensic cases and performing autopsy in time in traffic accident victims.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey. zerrinerkol@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Erkol
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hekimoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Büken
authors.affiliation: Council of Forensic Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gözde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Şirin
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rıza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Council of Forensic Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akkaya
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult