1. Dating bruises – bruises cannot be dated by color. IF yellow can be identified, one can determine that the bruise is at least 18 hours old. All other colors can be observed from the first minute until the bruise heals.
2. Raccoons eyes – bilateral black eyes. Can be a result of a skull fracture at the back of the head and completely absent of any facial trauma. (yes you read that correctly. The ONLY injury MAY be a skull fracture to the back of the head)
3. Battles sign – bruising behind one or both ears. Also may be a result of a skull fracture to the back of the head.
4. Alcohol has mild blood thinning effects so will cause easier bruising and bleeding. This is true of a chronic alcoholic even if they are not intoxicated in the moment, or of someone who is intoxicated at the time of the event.
5. 
Patterned bruises – Bruises may present as a patterns (ie. handprints, belt buckles) – the size and general characteristics of the object will match the size and general characteristics of the bruise. The bruise may be an inverse pattern: For example – a cylindrical object such as a bat leaves bruises that appear as parallel tracks and the size of the object is represented in the area of “sparing” (no bruise) in between the tracks (see image).
For our newsletter and blog this month we are reviewing 5 facts about different topics relating to criminal law. The blog topics for this month are:
5 things criminal attorneys should know about …
- Diabetes (7/3/15)
- Bruises (7/10/15)
- Gunshot Wounds (7/17/15)
- Loss of Consciousness (7/24/15)
- Seizures (7/31/15)
Note: To see all posts in this topic, click here
