Lividity occurs because the heart is no longer pumping blood throughout the body and, consequently, gravity pulls the blood down, resulting in the pooling of blood at the lowest point in the body.

What is lividity and what causes it?

Normally observed within 2 h of death, but sometimes as quickly as the first 20 min, lividity is a characteristic discoloration to the skin caused by the pooling of blood (Dhawane and Dhoble, 2016).

Can lividity happen while alive?

In a living person, a blow can result in the localized rupturing of cells and the pooling of blood . ... Lividity can also result when blood flow ceases after death. The blood that was formerly flowing through the body can be drawn to the lowest point in the body by the influence of gravity.