Recovering from Road Rash After a Motorcycle Accident

Riding a motorcycle may be easier to maneuver on busy streets, and it may be a cheaper alternative when it comes to gas. But it also comes with risks. Unlike cars, motorcycles do not provide riders and their passengers the safety of seatbelts, airbags, or even metal casing (doors and roofs). When you get into an accident while riding a motorcycle, the lack of these safety features can cause serious or even fatal injuries. Road rash is the most common type of injury in a motorcycle accident. 

If you or a loved one was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered any type of injury, including road rash, you may be entitled to compensation. With the help of an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer, you can protect your legal rights and get the compensation you deserve. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call 888-848-5084

What is Road Rash?

Road rash is a serious motorcycle accident injury. When you get into a motorcycle crash, you are basically at the mercy of friction and gravity. The road becomes like a grinding mill and causes serious injuries, one of the most common being road rash. Road rash is a skin abrasion caused when you hit or scrape your exposed skin against the surface of the road after going down from your bike.

There are basically three different types of road rash:

• Avulsion. An avulsion rash is the most common type of road rash. This type of rash occurs when the skin is scraped away and lower layers of fat, muscle, and even bone are exposed as a result.
• Open wound. Open wound road rash generally requires victims to get stitches. In more serious cases, the victim might even need to undergo a skin graft as well.
• Compression. Compression road rash happens when a part of the victim’s body gets caught between two objects. In motorcycle accidents, the skin generally gets caught between the motorcycle and the road. Victims may experience cruising, muscle damage and broken bones as a result of a compression road rash.

Road rash injuries commonly impact:

• The outside of the lower legs
• Knees
• Palms of the hand
• Shoulders
• Thighs
• Face
• Elbows

Regardless of what type of degree of road rash you have suffered or where the rash is, it is always a good idea to seek medical treatment after a motorcycle accident. Consulting with a physician is not only important to your health and recovery but also to your ability to obtain the full compensation you deserve from the party who caused the motorcycle accident.

Three Degrees of Road Rash

The severity of road rash can depend on various factors, such as the force of the crash, the type of surface where the crash happened, and what type of safety gear you were wearing during the crash. Road rash injuries are often categorized into three degrees, which are explained below from mildest to most severe:

• First-degree road rash: A first-degree road rash occurs when the first layer of skin becomes visibly red. This type of road rash does not generally need any treatment and mostly heals on its own.
• Second-degree road rash: A second-degree rash happens when the first level of the break in the skin. Just like with a first-degree road rash injury, it will generally heal without the need for medical treatment. And there is often no scarring or permanent damage.
• Third-degree road rash: A third-degree road rash is the most severe degree that can happen, causing the skin to peel away and leaving fat and tissue exposed. This degree of motorcycle road rash generally requires the victim to need skin grafts or reconstructive surgery.

Treating a Road Rash From a Motorcycle Accident

Road rash or road abrasion may not be serious as broken bones or a traumatic brain injury, but it can be very painful. Depending on the severity or degree, road rash can involve a minor scrape that will quickly heal without any resulting permanent scarring to extreme skin damage that results in permanent scarring of your skin. The more serious your road rash injury is, the more important it is for you to seek immediate medical attention. However, a moderate or minor road abrasion injury can be treated at home with over-the-counter ointments and bandages.

If you or a loved one was involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained a minor to moderate road rash, you should consider the following steps to properly care for your injury:

• Immediately clean your wound. Immediately following the accident, you should flush out the dirt and debris in your wound with drinking water. If your wound is really dirty, you should consider using a wound cleanser. You should not use peroxide. If you feel the wound is not surface and skin deep, you should immediately seek medical attention.
• Dress your wound. If your road rash is minor, apply an antibiotic ointment and cover your wound with a loose, non-stick dressing or gauze. You should change the dressing on your wound daily until it is healed.
• Look for signs of infection. If you have pain, swelling, redness or discharge, your wound may have become infected and you should see a doctor immediately.
• Moisturize your wound. You should regularly moisturize and massage your wound to help prevent scarring.

The above steps should be taken only if your road rash wound is minor. If you have suffered a serious road rash after a motorcycle accident, it is best to seek medical attention for the care of your wound.

How a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident

When you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you need to take every step possible to protect your legal rights. One of the most important things you need to do immediately after a crash is to hire an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident attorney. With a strong attorney on your side, you can be confident that you will get the full damages you deserve. Depending on the specific facts of your case, you may be entitled to compensation for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Loss of wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional and mental anguish
• Loss of consortium
• And other out of pocket expenses related to the motorcycle crash

Having an attorney represent you will also allow you to concentrate on your injuries and get the medical care and treatment you need without having to worry about the legalities of your claim.

Call an Orange County Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today!

The experienced motorcycle accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates are dedicated to helping our injured clients reach the best monetary settlement when they are involved in any type of accident.

If you or a loved one has suffered road rash, or any other injury, in a motorcycle accident that was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another party, our experienced Orange County motorcycle accident attorneys are available to personally review your case. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please call 888-848-5084.