Biomechanics of fatal head injury by the wheel rim of a tractor trailer-A Case Report

Transportation vehicles meant for domestic and industrial usage are a potential source of danger when they are in motion. But they can be fatal even when they are stationary, as for example during tyre repairing or servicing. A case of a tractor driver is reported here, who suffered severe head injury from the broken wheel rim as a result of accidental slippage of the tractor trailer from its make-shift mounted position. Even after bilateral frontal decompressive craniectomy, he died three days after the incident. Autopsy examination revealed fracture of the skull, intracranial haemorrhages and laceration of brain. The kinetic energy that was responsible for fracturing the skull has been calculated and it was found that the calculated value was more than the threshold value required for fracture. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of its kind (the accidental slipping of the trailer from its make-shift mounted position causing the rim to break and produce severe head injury) to be reported in a scientific journal.