An Occupational Accident That Simulates Firearm Injury

Abstract

The case of a 32-year-old man who died as a result of an unusual occupational accident during his shift on a marble quarry is reported. The worker stated a sharp and sudden pain on his shoulder while working with a diamond wire saw machine and died after being taken to a hospital. There was a round-shaped, foreign body entry hole, which looked like an angled gunshot entrance wound, with a diameter of 1.5 cm, in the middle between the neck and the left shoulder. The projectile, which penetrated through the left lung and thoracic aorta, was found within the left thoracic cavity. This case is reported due to its rarity and the possibility of its misinterpretation, and to remind forensic pathologists of the importance of having a systematic approach to each individual case.