This case report presents a rare case of an atypical head stab wound suffered by a drug addict and inflicted with a screwdriver during drug-induced psychosis. It describes the diagnostic and treatment procedures in the hospital and the findings of the subsequent autopsy. It also analyzes the review of the interpretation of the CT scans made upon admission and the subsequent treatment by an independent medical review panel, which revealed signs of medical mismanagement. Therefore, it also discusses the legal consequences that the case may have involved for the attending physicians in addition to the consequences for the suspected perpetrator. The report raises many issues encountered in the case in terms of the clinical treatment and forensic determination of the manner of death in cases of injuries caused by sharp instruments and highlights the importance of comprehensive evaluation of the circumstantial evidence together with the clinical or autopsy findings, since such evidence may sometimes be overlooked in clinical practice.

Department of Clinical Neurosciences Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava 701 03 Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of English and American Studies Faculty of Arts Palacký University Olomouc 771 80 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava 701 03 Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Forensic Medicine University Hospital Ostrava 70852 Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Neurosurgery University Hospital Ostrava 708 52 Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Radiology University Hospital Ostrava 70852 Ostrava Czech Republic

The Fingerland Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove Charles University 500 03 Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

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