Human bite marks tend to be shallow and follow the curve of human jaws. Animal bites tend to be more punctate in appearance, following the particular tooth structure of the animal involved. Defense wounds indicate that the victim was trying to protect himself or herself against attack. Defense wounds are most often found on the hands and arms, although they may appear on any part of the body. Hesitation wounds are usually superficial sharp force wounds that are self-inflicted on a survivor of a suicide and accompany a deeper, potentially fatal incision.
Hesitation marks are generally straight wounds at the wrist, elbow, or neck.
Scars from hesitation marks indicate a previous suicide attempt. The nurse who initially examines a patient must make an assessment on the basis of the wound site, the type of weapon used, and the length of time between the injury and emergency care. Any bullet or bullet fragments recovered should be properly packaged and turned over to the crime scene officer in an unaltered condition. Exact descriptions and photo-documentation of these wounds are essential to help medical and police investigators reconstructing the event. An assault or murder case is often solved when forensic physical evidence contradicts accounts of those involved.