Abstract
Self-inflicted fractures simulating traffic accident represent a new social fraud opportunity for criminality. Recognising scams through an increase of awareness of existence of self-inflicted arm fractures for insurance fraud could help community health workers to report these injuries to the competent authorities. In this article, authors have recognised an unusual but consistent pattern of upper and lower limb fractures whose incidence does not coincide in numerical terms with what is reported in literature. The aim of the present study is to describe fracture patterns observed over the past 2 years. Further, authors describe clinical presentations of these fractures and attempt to define a possible mechanism of these types of injuries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ferenc K (1975) Unusual self mutilation with the purpose of obtaining illegal insurance benefits. Magy Traumatol Orthop Helyreallito Seb 18(1):63–66
Hedjazi A, Hoseinzadeh A, Zarenezhad M, Hassanzadeh R, Mahmoudi D, Ghadipasha M (2013) A report of five cases of self-mutilation for the purpose of insurance fraud. J Forensic Legal Med 20(6):640–643
Puschel K, Hildebrand E, Hitzer K, al-Hashimy S (1998) Self-mutilation as insurance fraud. Unfallchirurgie 24(2):75–80
Palazzolo S (2006) Il falso pentito del caso Borsellino arrestato per truffa alle assicurazioni. La Repubblica (Palermo Ed, IT) Retrieved from www.palermo.repubblica.it
Bergdahl C, Ekholm C, Wennergren D, Nilsson F, Moller M (2016) Epidemiology and patho-anatomical pattern of 2,011 humeral fractures: data from the Swedish Fracture Register. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 17:159
Ekholm R, Adami J, Tidermark J, Hansson K, Tornkvist H, Ponzer S (2006) Fractures of the shaft of the humerus. An epidemiological study of 401 fractures. J Bone Joint Surg Br 88(11):1469–1473
Tytherleigh-Strong G, Walls N, McQueen MM (1998) The epidemiology of humeral shaft fractures. J Bone Joint Surg Br 80(2):249–253
Puschel K, Hildebrand E, Hitzer K, Harms D (1998) Self-mutilating hand and finger injuries among physicians suspected of insurance fraud. Versicherungsmedizin 50(6):232–240
Stacey S, Kent R (2006) Investigation of an alleged mechanism of finger injury in an automobile crash. Int J Legal Med 120:246–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0036-z
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
The authors certify that the paper has not been published (in part or in full) or submitted for publication elsewhere. Each authors have made a substantial contribution so as to qualify to the authorship.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Camarda, L., D’Arienzo, A., Grassedonio, E. et al. Self-inflicted long bone fractures for insurance fraud. Int J Legal Med 133, 1083–1088 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-018-1884-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-018-1884-7