Road Rash Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents

For many motorcyclists, feeling the sun on their back and the wind in their hair is essential for enjoying the ride. Unfortunately, the same lack of exterior protection for motorcyclists puts them at a serious disadvantage if they are involved in a motorcycle crash. With nothing except their riding gear between their bodies and the road, motorcyclists can suffer catastrophic or even fatal injuries when an accident occurs. Road rash is one of the most common injuries motorcycle accident victims suffer, and it can be serious.

Road rash injuries are classified as abrasion injuries, and they are often not just scraps that will heal quickly. Road rash can cause ongoing pain and even disability. Road rash injuries happen when a motorcyclist's body skids across the asphalt. Layers of muscle, skin, fat, and other tissue can become torn away in the process. In addition to being extremely painful, road rash can also be disfiguring, debilitating, and disabling.

Road rash can vary in type and severity. The three main types of road rash are called avulsions, open wounds, and compression injuries. Avulsion road rash injuries occur when the layers of the skin have been scraped away. Open wound road rash injuries involve skin that has been lacerated and separated, causing an open wound. Compression injuries happen when the affected body part becomes trapped between the road and the motorcycle. Road rash injuries are also categorized by degrees of severity:

• First-degree road rash is characterized by red skin
• Second-degree road rash occurs when the injury breaks the top layer of the person’s skin
• Third-degree road rash is the most severe type of road rash that occurs when someone’s skin has been scraped back, exposing fat, muscle, and other tissue

Many first and second-degree road rash injuries heal without any need for medical intervention. Third-degree road rash can be excruciating and need expensive, ongoing treatment. Common road rash treatments include:

• Stitches
• Debridement
• Skin grafts
• Other reconstructive surgeries

Even patients who receive proper treatment for road rash risk developing a dangerous infection. Victims of road rash can experience other long-term negative effects, including permanent nerve damage, excruciating pain, significant scarring, and disfigurement. In addition to living with extreme pain and a potentially disfiguring injury, motorcyclists with extensive road rash can have difficulty holding down a job. The injury may also affect their social lives and cause emotional pain and suffering.

If you have experienced serious road rash injuries in a motorcycle accident, and another person or company's negligence caused the accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Deciding what to do after a motorcycle accident can be overwhelming. If you are in extreme pain due to your road rash injuries, the last thing you probably want to do is discuss your case with an attorney. However, it is important that you reach out to an attorney once you receive medical attention.

You only have a limited amount of time to bring a lawsuit against the person who caused your injuries. If you are seeking compensation through an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, an attorney will help you ensure that you are not accepting an offer that is too low to cover all of your injuries. Your attorney will also be able to negotiate for the best outcome possible on your case. In addition, your attorney can handle the details in your case while you focus on recovering. Plaintiffs are entitled to the following types of damages:

• Past, present, and future accident-related medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of income if your road rash prevents you from working in the future
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional trauma
• The psychological and financial effects of scarring and disfigurement

If you have suffered a serious road rash injury, we recommend reaching out to a local personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An attorney will advise you on which types of damages you may be able to recover in your particular accident case. If you have questions about what types of damages you can recover, contact an attorney as soon as possible. At Arnold & Smith, PLLC, our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys will fight hard for you to recover the total amount of compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.