The role of legal medicine in the reconstruction of fatalities due to tractor rollovers: from evidence to proof

Abstract

Despite advances in engineering solutions, such as rollover protective structures and improved operator training, tractor rollovers in agricultural settings continue to be the main cause of death necessitating medicolegal investigations to reconstruct event dynamics and determine causal attributions. This study examines the distinction between evidence (observational data consistent with a hypothesis) and proof (conclusive data confirming a hypothesis) in the context of fatal tractor accidents. We propose a three-phase logic model which provides a conclusive reconstruction of the events by integrating engineering data, dynamic modelling, death scene analysis and autopsy findings. Careful analysis of the death scene and circumstantial evidence is essential during investigations of rollover dynamics, encompassing operational safety procedures, the technical characteristics of the vehicle, corpse position, autopsy findings, toxicology data, the victim’s medical history and psychophysical condition at the time of the accident occurred. Systematizing such variables within a unified forensic framework enhances the scientific reliability of forensic investigations and the technical reconstruction of the fatality, thus contributing to the development of prevention strategies, liability assessment and the formulation of safety policy.