The driver of a car suffered multiple fractures in the cranium after an accident. He remained unconscious after the accident for several hours before his death. Autopsy revealed intracerebral hemorrhage besides the fractures in frontal and parietal bones.
What is the cause of death?
What is manner of death?
Manner of Death: Accident
Explanation:
The death resulted from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident (MVA).
An accident is defined as an unnatural death resulting from an unintentional injury. The driver's death was an unforeseen, unintended consequence of the operation of the vehicle.
Unless evidence proves the accident was intentionally caused by the driver (Suicide) or another person (Homicide), a death resulting from an MVA is classified as an Accident.
The question is a common scenario in forensic pathology. Here is the determination of the cause and manner of death based on the provided information:
The Cause of Death is the disease or injury that initiated the sequence of events that led directly to death.
In this case, the cause of death is the combination of the severe injuries sustained in the accident:
Cause of Death:Intracerebral Hemorrhage due to Blunt Force Trauma to the Head (Cranium) sustained in a Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA).
Explanation:
Proximate Cause: The ultimate physical reason for death was the intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain), which led to the unconsciousness and, ultimately, death.
Underlying Cause: This bleeding and the multiple fractures in the frontal and parietal bones were a direct result of blunt force trauma to the head.
The initiating event: The blunt force trauma occurred during the motor vehicle accident.
The Manner of Death is a classification of how the death came about. In the United States and many other jurisdictions, the manners of death are generally categorized as Natural, Accident, Suicide, Homicide, or Undetermined.