American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) Practice Exam

What type of injury is commonly associated with motor vehicle collisions due to fractured glass?

1. Blunt force injury

2. Dicing injury

3. Penetrating injury

4. Stab wound

The correct answer is: Dicing injury

Dicing injuries are specifically associated with the presence of sharp glass fragments that can occur during motor vehicle collisions. When an accident happens and the glass shatters, it can produce small, shard-like fragments. These sharp pieces can then cause lacerations or cuts to the skin as the individual comes into contact with them, resulting in injuries that have a characteristic pattern resembling a 'dicing' effect. This term "dicing" refers to the pattern typically seen, where the skin appears to have been cut by multiple small, sharp objects, leading to a distinctive type of injury. It is particularly prevalent in situations where the passenger compartment is compromised by the impact, leading to a higher likelihood of glass-related injuries. Other types of injuries mentioned, such as blunt force or penetrating injuries, refer to different mechanisms of harm not typically associated with broken glass. Blunt force injuries generally result from impacts without sharp objects, while penetrating injuries involve objects that breach the skin but do not typically involve the effects of shattered glass. Stab wounds result from a sharp object being driven into the skin, which again does not match the mechanism of glass injury resulting from motor vehicle collisions.