[Accidental death in advanced age].

In 1989 accidental death of 72 persons with an age of at least 60 years were determined at the Institute for Legal Medicine in Hamburg. 41 of them (57%) died by traffic accident. In those cases 18 of them died from pneumonia or embolism of lung as a result to be laid low. The causal connection and phenomenoms of those complications are described and problems of medicine, social-security payment and insurance benefit of the elder age are discussed.