A Comparative Study of Pattern of Medico-Legal Cases at two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Karnataka

In the past two decades, India has witnessed rapid urbanization, motorization, industrialization and migration of people resulting in socio demographic, epidemiological, technological and media transition and development. In spite of recent advancement of technology in the field of medical sciences, death and deformities due to all causes, are yet to be controlled successfully; rather incidences of road traffic accidents has been increasing at an alarming rate in our country and also throughout the world3. Drawing a public attention and awareness towards casualties is important to prevent unnatural deaths; this possibly could reduce the incidence of such cases. This is a retrospective study of pattern of medico legal cases conducted and compared at two tertiary care hospitals at different places in Karnataka namely Sri Siddhartha Medical College Hospital, Tumkur and Harsha Hospital, Nelamangala, Bangalore rural district to understand the magnitude & pattern of medico-legal cases in these regions of the state. In this study conducted at these tertiary care hospitals revealed that road traffic accidents constituted 840 ( 64.6 %) & 1136 (75.3%) cases respectively being majority of medico-legal cases, followed by poisoning 110 (8.4%) & 149 (9.84%) cases respectively and assault cases 134 (10.3%) & 74 (4.9%) cases respectively. Male predominance is quite evident. The affected age group is 21-30 years with 397 (30.5%) & 664 (44%) cases respectively followed by 31-40 years 291 (22.6%) & 335 (22.18%) cases respectively indicating young were exposed to such casualties. Violence is a significant public health problem and assault or homicide is severest form of violence, depriving a human being of his fundamental right to live.