Abstract

An elderly woman was the driver and sole occupant of a midsize car involved in a minor collision with a standard sized automobile. She was restrained with a lap and shoulder belt and the air bag was deployed. Yet she suffered fatal chest injuries. No injuries were sustained by the unrestrained driver and passenger of the larger vehicle. Despite maximum restraint in a fully functioning new model car, even a minor collision can be fatal.

References

1.
National Center for Health Statistics
, “
Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths for 1991
Monthly Vital Statistics Report
 0364-0396, Vol.
40
, No.
12
,
15
04
1992
.
2.
National Center for Health Statistics
, “
Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths for 1992
,”
Monthly Vital Statistics Report
 0364-0396, Vol.
41
, No.
12
,
19
05
1993
.
3.
Di Maio
,
D. J.
and
Di Maio
,
V. J. M.
,
Forensic Pathology
,
Elsevier
,
New York
,
1989
, Chapter 9, “Deaths Due to Motor Vehicles,” pp.
258
-
262
.
4.
Evans
,
L.
, “
The Effectiveness of Safety Belts in Preventing Fatalities
,”
Accident Analysis and Prevention
 0001-4575, Vol.
18
, No.
3
,
1986
, pp.
229
-
241
.
5.
Evans
,
L.
, “
Restraint Effectiveness, Occupant Ejection from Cars, and Fatality Reductions
,”
Accident Analysis and Prevention
 0001-4575, Vol.
22
, No.
2
,
04
1990
, pp.
167
-
175
.
6.
Evans
,
D.
, “
Airbag Effectiveness in Preventing Fatalities Predicted According to Type of Crash, Driver Age, and Blood Alcohol Concentration
,”
Accident Analysis and Prevention
 0001-4575, Vol.
23
, No.
6
,
1991
, pp.
531
-
541
.
7.
Kulber
,
D. A.
and
Hiatt
,
J. R.
, “
The Effect of an Airbag on Injuries in an Automobile Crash: Report of Two Cases
,”
Accident Analysis and Prevention
 0001-4575, Vol.
24
, No.
1
,
02
1992
, pp.
100
-
101
.
8.
Lestina
,
D. C.
,
Williams
,
A. F.
,
Lund
,
A. K.
, et al
, “
Motor Vehicle Crash Injury Patterns and the Virginia Seat Belt Law
,”
Journal of the American Medical Association
 0098-7484, Vol.
265
, No.
11
,
20
03
1991
, pp.
1409
-
1413
.
9.
National Safety Council
, “
Occupant Protection
,”
Accident Facts 1991 Edition
, p. 57.
10.
Lasky
,
I. I.
,
Nahum
,
A. M.
, and
Siegel
,
A. W.
, “
Cardiac Injuries Incurred by Drivers in Automobile Accidents
,”
Journal of Forensic Sciences
 0022-1198, Vol.
14
, No.
1
,
1969
, pp.
13
-
33
.
11.
Cumberland
,
G. D.
,
Riddick
,
L.
, and
McConnell
,
C. F.
, “
Intimal Tears of the Right Atrium of the Heart Due to Blunt Force Injuries to the Abdomen
,”
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
, Vol.
12
, No.
2
,
1991
, pp.
102
-
104
.
12.
Spitz
,
W. U.
and
Fisher
,
R. S.
,
Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation
,
Charles C Thomas
,
Springfield, IL
,
1973
, Chapter XV, “
The Road Traffic Victim
,” pp.
377
-
391
.
13.
Smock
,
W. S.
and
Nichols
,
G. R.
 II
, “
Air Bag Induced Fatal Injuries: A Case Report
,” presented at the
Forty Fifth Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
,
Boston, MA
,
02
1993
.
14.
Larkin
,
G. L.
, “
Airbag-Mediated Corneal Injury
,”
American Journal of Emergency Medicine
 0735-6757 Vol.
9
, No.
5
,
09
1991
, pp.
444
-
446
.
15.
Scott
,
I. U.
,
John
,
G. R.
, and
Stark
,
W. J.
, “
Airbag-Associated Ocular Injury and Periorbital Fractures
,”
Archives of Ophthalmology
, Vol.
III
, No.
1
,
01
1993
, p. 25.
16.
Ford Motor Company
, “
Some Important Information About Air Bag Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) and Ford Police Vehicles
,”
Brochure on Ford Police Vehicles
, FPS-8602, Litho in USA,
07
1993
.
17.
Baringer
,
J. R.
,
Salzman
,
E. W.
,
Jones
,
W. A.
, et al
, “
External Cardiac Massage
,”
New England Journal of Medicine
 0028-4793, Vol.
265
, No.
2
,
13
07
1961
, pp.
62
-
65
.
18.
Bedell
,
S. E.
and
Fulton
,
E. J.
, “
Unexpected Findings and Complications at Autopsy After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
,”
Archives of Internal Medicine
 0003-9926, Vol.
146
,
09
1986
, pp.
1725
-
1728
.
19.
Himmelhoch
,
S. R.
,
Dekker
,
A.
,
Gazzaniga
,
A. B.
, et al
, “
Closed-Chest Cardiac Resuscitation
,”
New England Journal of Medicine
 0028-4793, Vol.
270
, No.
3
,
01
1964
, pp.
118
-
122
.
20.
Schneider
,
A. P.
 II
,
Nelson
,
D. J.
, and
Brown
,
D. D.
, “
In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A 30-Year Review
,”
Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
, Vol.
6
, No.
2
, March–April 1993, pp.
91
-
101
.
21.
Noffsinger
,
A. E.
,
Blisard
,
K. S.
, and
Balko
,
M. G.
, “
Cardiac Laceration and Pericardial Tamponade Due to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation After Myocardial Infarction
,”
Journal of Forensic Sciences
 0022-1198, Vol.
36
, No.
6
,
11
1991
, pp.
1760
-
1764
.
22.
General Motors Corporation
, “
Questions and Answers About Air Bags in Your Chevrolet Specialty Vehicles
,”
Brochure on Chevrolet Specialty Vehicles
, Revised 7/1/93.
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.