Road rash from a motorcycle accident occurs when a rider is thrown from the bike and drags along the road. As the rider slides over the road, or other hard surface, the rider’s skin tears, burns, or rips. This extremely painful injury can cause significant disfigurement, scarring, and emotional distress.
Degrees of Road Rash
Because road rash qualifies as a burn, just like other burn injuries, doctors classify road rash in degrees:
First-degree
First-degree road rash, while still painful, is the least serious, and may be as minor as a slight rash, tenderness, or very light bleeding. You can likely treat first degree road rash at home without professional medical care.
Second-degree
Second-degree road rash is more serious. When this type of road rash occurs, the skins breaks and the victim will likely experience serious pain and bleeding. Second degree road rash does necessitate professional medical care, but with proper care, the wound will likely result in minimal scarring.
Third-degree
Third-degree road rash is the most serious road rash injury type. This degree of road rash can cause the victim to lose skin, exposing the bone, muscles, and/or tendons. Riders may also sustain nerve damage due to friction or the skin being pulled away. This type of injury can cause permanent disability, scarring, disfigurement, and considerable emotional distress.
Treatment for Road Rash
Bicycling.com provides some good tips for treating road rash. However, these tips should never act as a replacement for the opinion of a professional.
- Wash the wound. First, you should wash the wound thoroughly to remove dirt and debris. If bleeding seriously and bleeding will not stop, you may need stitches. If this occurs, go to the doctor immediately.
- Cover and protect the wound. The second step is to apply a wound ointment to the affected area and cover it with gauze and bandages. Change the bandages daily to ensure it is healing and to reduce the risk of infection. For more serious road rash injuries, speak with a medical professional before attempting to treat your injuries. You may end up doing more harm than good.
- Keep an eye out. If the wound is serious, it may be at risk of getting infected. Pay attention to the healing process and seek medical attention if it smells strange or is oozing.
While the above treatments are relatively cheap, more serious road rash injuries can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Accidents that result in major loss of skin may require skin grafting surgery, which costs about $18,000, according to HealthcareBluebook.
If the injury is in a highly visible place, such as the hands or face, victims may need cosmetic surgery. This can cost about $9,000 per procedure in Bucks County, according to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
Getting Compensation for Road Rash Injuries
Treatment for a road rash injury can be very expensive. If your accident was the result of someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to file a claim to recover compensation. A Bucks County attorney can help. At Cordisco & Saile LLC, our personal injury attorneys will advocate for you.
Contact us today for a free case consultation: 215-486-8196.
