One of the most common forms of personal injury after a motorcycle accident is road rash, a colloquial term for the burn injury a motorcyclist sustains after sliding through asphalt in a motorcycle crash.
Depending on the severity or degree of road rash involved, you may be able to treat the injury at home, but most often you will have to see a medical professional to cure the road rash and prevent further infection from spreading throughout the body.
Broken bones, exposed nerves, and flayed skin are only some of the complications a motorcyclist may encounter after an accident involving road rash. Without a motorcycle accident attorney to represent your rights, you suffer heavy medical expenses as well as a settlement from the insurance company that won’t fully cover your damages.
What are the Degrees of Road Rash After a Crash?
Like burn injuries, medical professionals categorize road rashes in three degrees according to severity and tissue damage. First-degree road rash can be treated at home, but second and third-degree road rash requires immediate medical attention due to the risk of infection.
Always talk to a doctor regarding your injuries if you feel seething pain or no pain at all after your motorcycle accident. A doctor’s report will help strengthen your accident claim which will result in a higher settlement amount for your injuries and complications in the future.
First-Degree Road Rash
First-degree road rash involves only the outer layer of the skin. Minor scraping, abrasions, and bruises are associated with first-degree road rash and can be healed at home. Scarring from first-degree road rash is unlikely.
Second-Degree Road Rash
Second-degree road rash damages and exposes lower layers of the skin, causing bleeding, swelling, or exposed tendons and nerves. Second-degree road rash is more painful and should be addressed by a doctor immediately to avoid infection. Scarring from second-degree road rash is common.
Third-Degree Road Rash
Third-degree road rash is the most severe form of road rash, where skin is flayed off from the body and the wound reaches the fat layer of the skin. There is often a milky appearance to the affected area which might cause extreme pain or no pain depending on the nerve damage of your road rash.
Third-degree road rash needs to be addressed immediately by a doctor in the same way a third degree burn requires medical attention. Avoid touching the affected area to avoid infection, but scarring, specifically traumatic tattooing, will occur due to the severity of the injury.
Traumatic Tattooing
Traumatic tattooing is the skin discoloration that occurs when foreign debris stays inside the affected area after the wound heals. Traumatic tattooing will leave scars after your road rash which you can use to sue as a form of damages after your motorcycle accident.
Road Rash and Motorcycle Accident Claims
Road rash is one of the numerous injuries you can claim for damages if you hire a skilled personal injury attorney to represent your case.
The lost wages, medical fees, and emotional distress from your accident pile up, and you could be earning much more from your settlement if an attorney represented you than if you took the initial offer from the insurance company.
WCTL Can Guide You Through Your Motorcycle Accident Claim
Road rash is a serious condition that deserves representation from a top-rated legal team. Taking an initial offer from an insurance company will put you at grave risk of getting an inadequate settlement for your current and future losses due to a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault.
West Coast Trial Lawyers has represented similar personal injury clients through their motorcycle accident claims, and we want to extend our 100 years of collective experience to your case as well.
We won over $1.5 billion for our clients over those years, fighting to win fair settlements even when insurance companies want to go to trial. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are eager to serve, and through constant collaboration, WCTL can guide you through your motorcycle accident claim. To schedule a free consultation with one of our expert attorneys, call 213-996-0790 or fill out our contact form to get started. Our headquarters is in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, but if you are not in Los Angeles we have several locations throughout California.
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