Injuries can be described medically by the tissue damage and causative agent, legally by severity categories, and medicolegally by the circumstances of occurrence.
Definitions
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The supplied legal definition includes illegally caused harm to a person's body, mind, reputation or property.
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Medically, a wound or injury is a break in the natural continuity of any tissue of the living body.
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Mechanical injuries are produced by physical violence. Trauma is an injury inflicted by force on living tissue.
Medical classification
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Blunt-force mechanical injuries include abrasions, contusions, lacerations, fractures and dislocations.
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Sharp-force injuries include incised wounds, chop wounds and stab wounds. The firearms category includes firearm wounds and blast injuries.
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Cold-related thermal injuries include frostbite, trench foot and immersion foot. Heat-related injuries include burns and scalds.
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Chemical injuries include those caused by corrosive acids and alkalis.
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Miscellaneous causes include electricity, lightning, X-rays and radioactive substances. Explosions are also listed as a medical category.
Legal and medicolegal classification
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The legal categories are simple, grievous and dangerous injuries.
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Medicolegal categories include suicide, homicide, accident, fabricated injuries, self-inflicted injuries, defence injuries, and antemortem or postmortem injuries.
Mechanical force and counterforce
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A wound may result from a moving weapon or object, with the body's inertia providing counterforce.
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Alternatively, movement of the body against a stationary object may cause the wound, with the object's rigidity providing counterforce.