Head impact biomechanics of "king hit" assaults

Abstract

A typical "king hit" assault case involves an intoxicated male victim being punched to the face, which results in the victim falling backward and striking his occiput on a rigid surface. The resulting head injuries may be due to the punch, the fall, or a combination of both, which can cause permanent disability and sometimes prove fatal. For fatal cases, subarachnoid hematoma is typically the cause of death; however, subdural hematoma and skull fracture are also common in king hit assault cases. The victim may be intoxicated, which may have biomechanical consequences in terms of head and neck control and movement. In addition, alcohol intoxication may reduce the tolerance of the blood vessels to applied loads and increase the likelihood of intracranial hematoma. A biomechanist can assist in understanding a king hit assault incident and injury causation by comparing information from the evidence brief with experimental data from literature pertaining to punches, falls, and head injury tolerance limits.