With the widespread proliferation of vehicles of the most diverse forms, accidents have become more frequent. And not only the fault of car drivers, but also the fault of pedestrians. At the same time, statistics stubbornly indicate that the bulk of accidents on the roads are related to drivers, ignorance of the rules of the road or their intentional violation. With the development of technology, each person got the opportunity to simplify for himself a mysterious procedure called "forensic examination of an accident". A pedestrian caught in a traffic accident can independently attract witnesses or provide law enforcement with evidence.
What is forensic examination (SME)?
Recently, with a sharp increase in the number of accidents on the road, the SME is in increasing demand both among the population and law enforcement agencies. This is a very complex and expensive procedure that is carried out by forensic doctors. Moreover, the requirements for such specialists are very high. Therefore, accordingly, their work is paid well. The SME is, in fact, a complex of medical research that allows you to establish the nature and severity of damage, collision time, vehicle speed and much more.
What is an SME for?
SMEs are especially often used in road accidents. At the same time, specialists who will conduct a range of medical events must be highly qualified. Their tasks include establishing the time of the accident, documenting the injuries, determining the speed of the car, etc. In fact, the SME allows you to "shed" light on what happened after the accident and establish all the causes and circumstances of the accident. It is worth remembering that forensic doctors can also be wrong. Often they receive complaints due to an incorrect determination of the time of an accident or the death of a pedestrian, errors and inaccuracies in determining the severity of injuries received, and much more.
Where is the SME held?
Today, Russian legislation recognizes both state expertise and non-state expertise.
Non-state (private) forensic examination in case of an accident is carried out in non-state medical institutions and expert laboratories. At the same time, the state examination is carried out in the Bureau of forensic examination with the help of state experts.
The requirements are the same for both cases. Everyone has the right to resort to forensic examination, but this requires a resolution of the investigating authorities or the court.
State medical examination is carried out at the expense of budgetary funds, and the victim does not spend his money. At the same time, the court indicates the cost of the SME services, but in practice all expenses are borne by the state. But at the same time, state forensic medical examination in case of an accident has a huge drawback. The examination can be carried out for several months, even despite the fact that, by law, experts are required to give their opinion within 30 calendar days from the moment they receive all the necessary documentation.
But non-state expertise can please its customers with the lack of queues and the speed of service. However, all costs in this case will be borne by the victim, the state does not compensate anything. The result of the research can be obtained the very next day, and at the same time the cost of such pleasure will be from several thousand to several tens of thousands of rubles.
Types of forensic examination
After the accident, all those responsible for the “triumph” are sent to the SME. Specialists distinguish several types of examinations that will be carried out:
- Independent (pre-trial) examination.
- Comprehensive, commissioned and one-sided expertise.
- Repeated (it is additional) and primary examination.
If the causes of the accident do not cause any disputes on both sides of the accident and law enforcement agencies, the court will order a unilateral medical examination. At the same time, if the circumstances and causes of the accident are not clear and cause doubts and disputes, then the court will refer the participants of the incident to the commission of the SME. If during the investigation we need specialists with a wider knowledge base on a particular issue, the court will decide on a comprehensive examination.
Primary forensic examination in an accident should provide answers to all questions of interest to court officials. If the answers are inaccurate or incomplete, then the court may require additional investigation. But the repeated SIE is carried out if the court or any of the parties to the accident have doubts about the qualifications and competence of the medical expert, or the data used in making the expert decision are unreliable.
The main objectives of the forensic medical examination
During a full and extensive investigation of the facts of an accident (incidentally, the investigation will be grateful if the victim or one of the witnesses takes a photo of the accident), in addition to general questions (cause of the accident, time of the collision, cause of death, nature of injuries and degree of alcohol or drug intoxication) experts should also answer a number of other questions, in particular:
- determination of the presence of injuries and damage resulting from a car accident;
- nature of damage: loss of a vehicle, impact, moving, collision or injury inside a vehicle;
- establishing the course of the car and the fact of the victim’s dragging along the roadway;
- determination of the type of vehicle (passenger car, truck, bus, trolley, etc.);
- analysis of the state of health of the victim before and after the accident;
- clarification of the abilities of a car brand on the ability to inflict one or another type of damage;
- determining the location of the accident and the direction of movement of the car, as well as determining the type of wheels that injured (rear or front);
- determination of the position of the victim at the time of the accident;
- determination of vehicle speed.
The last task is considered to be one of the main ones during the SME, since the nature and type of injuries and injuries of the victim can determine whether the car was moving at an acceptable speed or not.
How much does a forensic examination cost for citizens?
A forensic examination after an accident is a rather expensive procedure, so many citizens are wondering how much they will have to pay for it. I would like to immediately clarify that if you decide to undergo a state examination, then you do not need to pay for anything. All the costs of the examination are borne by the state. But it is worth recalling that this procedure is quite lengthy in time and can take several months.
If you do not intend to wait so long, you have the right to contact non-governmental expert laboratories, whose staff will be happy to provide you with related services, but for a fee. The amount of payment will depend on the region, urgency and complexity. Currently, the average cost of SME in non-governmental institutions is about 10 thousand rubles. At the same time, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the cost of SME can reach up to 25 thousand rubles, and in rural areas it can be estimated at 2-5 thousand rubles.
It should be understood that forensic examination in an accident should answer a number of questions. And the more these issues, the greater the cost of providing services. Therefore, in order to obtain reliable data on the cost of conducting a forensic examination, you need to directly contact the staff of the expert laboratory. Only in their competence to give an accurate and generalized answer to the question: "How much will a medical examination cost?"
Finally, I would like to give advice. Never visit dubious laboratories. Before contacting an expert private laboratory, look for all the information about it. And do not believe those specialists who are ready to help you for little money. Forensics after an accident is an expensive pleasure, for which you will have to pay accordingly.