A systemic review on ricochet gunshot injuries

Projectile ricochet is defined as “the continued flight of a rebounded projectile and/or major projectile fragments after a low-angle impact with a surface or object”[1]. Ricocheted bullets may still be able to cause injuries even after having suffered some loss in velocity. Unintentional injuries and deaths resulting from ricoc heted bullets have been reported occasionally, and sometimes the manner of death in such incidents is controversial.[2–4] The Handbook of Forensic Pathology, published by the College of American Pathologists (2003)[5], stated that “death of one who is struck by a ricochet from a firearm fired le gally may be classified as accident”.
Source: Legal Medicine - Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Source Type: research