When it comes to the injuries sustained in an accident, many people immediately think of broken bones, lacerations, and head trauma. One injury that’s very often overlooked is road rash. Although it’s a very common issue, it can be potentially extremely serious. Road rash happens when a person is thrown from a motorcycle, bike, car, or another vehicle, causing their skin to scrape against rough surfaces on the ground at very high speeds. This impact can be abrasive enough to tear through the body’s protective layers of skin and expose the underlying tissue.
In the worst cases, road rash will damage the skin deeply enough to reach muscle and bone, resulting in serious infections that may require surgery and leave victims with permanent scars. For victims and their families, the medical bills, lost income, and quality of life costs from serious road rash injuries can be truly overwhelming. It is important for those affected to seek the assistance of a motorcycle accident attorney who can help them navigate the legal process and obtain compensation for their losses.
Types of Road Rash Injuries and Potential Complications
Medical professionals categorize the severity of road rash using degrees, in much the same way as the system for burns. In fact, road rash has many of the same risks as getting a serious burn, and they’re also treated with a very similar approach.
Like all open wounds, road rash injuries are the ideal breeding ground for bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. As the skin rips across the ground surface, road debris, metal fragments, or broken glass particles can become embedded into the skin, allowing harmful pathogens to enter the bloodstream.
One of the worst bacterial infections that can develop from road rash is MRSA, which is known for resisting most antibiotic treatments. Without immediate treatment, MRSA can spread throughout the body and even result in organ failure. In cases of infected road wounds, surgery may be required to remove dead tissue or close deep lacerations.
Other severe complications of road rash include:
- Nerve and muscle damage: Nerves, muscles, and other tissues that suffer serious trauma can become permanently affected, resulting in numbness, stiffness, tingling, or pain in the affected area. Depending on the severity and location of the injury, the damage from road rash can lead to chronic pain and mobility issues.
- Temporary or permanent disability: When a severe burn-like injury occurs on the skin, the affected area can become damaged beyond repair. The long-term consequences of third-degree road rash can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks such as walking, bending, or lifting.
- Significant scars: This is one of the most common and complex complications of serious road rash, especially if it’s highly visible. Road rash scars can be painful, itchy, and challenging to treat, sometimes requiring multiple skin grafts or cosmetic surgeries. Many victims will suffer from feelings of insecurity and emotional distress due to the appearance of their scars.
- Mental health challenges: Suffering a severe road rash in an accident is a terrifying and traumatizing experience, especially if the aftermath involves a long and painful recovery process. These injuries will often impact the victim’s emotional and psychological well-being, leading to anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder.
Degrees of Road Rash Injuries
Medical professionals classify road rash by degree, similar to the method for classifying burns. In fact, burns and road rash share many similar characteristics and treatment modalities.
First Degree Road Rash
First degree road rash injuries are the least severe but that does not mean they are a walk in the park. They can cause severe discomfort. A first degree road rash occurs when friction wears away the outermost layer of the victim’s skin. It does not necessarily bleed, but usually causes pain, redness, and swelling, which typically subsides within a week. Basic first aid treatment, such as the application of antiseptic cream and a bandage, might resolve these injuries, but victims should seek immediate medical attention if pain, swelling, or redness persist or get worse.
Second Degree Road Rash
Second degree road rash injuries occur when friction tears away several layers of skin. They often result in bleeding, and thus have a risk of infection. Second degree abrasions often require medical attention to clean and bandage, and may take more than a week to heal. A doctor may also prescribe antibiotics as a precaution or to treat an evident infection.
Third Degree Road Rash
Third degree road rash injuries are severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. They feature the loss of all layers of skin, and may expose and damage bone, nerve tissue, and muscle. Third degree abrasions require immediate, emergency medical attention. The victim may need one or more skin graft surgeries to help repair the wound. These injuries carry a high risk of infection, are extremely painful, and often require hospitalization and months of recovery time.
Who Can I Hold Liable for Serious Road Rash Injuries After an Accident?
Being involved in an accident that results in severe road rash will often leave victims and their loved ones feeling uncertain about how to recover, both physically and financially. Consulting a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer can help you identify the liable parties you can hold responsible for your injuries,. The most likely options include:
Your Own Insurance Provider
If you live in a no-fault insurance state, such as New York or New Jersey, you may first need to contact your insurance provider. Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage should assist with medical expenses and other costs associated with the injury, regardless of who caused it.
However, depending on the severity of your injuries and the amount of time required for recovery, you may find that your policy does not fully cover your damages. In motorcycle accident cases, PIP will not cover you at all.
In these instances, you may need to file a lawsuit against a third party whose negligence caused the accident.
The At-Fault Driver
The at-fault driver is typically the one who caused the accident due to a traffic violation or careless behavior and should be held responsible for any resulting harm. It’s also possible for more than one party involved in the incident to be liable, such as any other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists.
Negligent Manufacturers
In some cases, the accidents that lead to severe road rash are caused by a defective product or manufacturer negligence. Under consumer protection laws (unrelated to lemon laws), companies can be held liable for the damages caused by these preventable accidents. For example, if the handlebars of your bicycle were faulty or did not meet industry standards, the bike’s manufacturer could be held liable for your injuries from the crash. Similarly, the manufacturer might be held responsible if the car brakes were not functioning properly and caused the accident.
Property Owners
If a property owner’s negligence was a factor in the causes of a motorcycle accident, they could be liable. This is especially true if the property owner was in charge of maintaining the road, sidewalk, or another area and failed to do so. Any damaged pavement, obstructions, or other preventable hazards that resulted in the accident could be considered negligent hazards.
Municipalities
Local or state governments could be legally responsible for road rash injuries if they failed to properly maintain the roadways in a way that contributed to your accident. Examples of negligence include failing to repair potholes, missing stop signs, or not noting a sharp turn in the road.
Types of Compensation Road Rash Victims Can Recover
Suffering severe road rash comes with physical and emotional pain and a range of financial hardships. There’s no way for the legal process to erase the difficulties of this experience. Still, it can help accident victims alleviate this economic burden and get their lives back on track.
That’s why accident victims need to work with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer who can determine the short-term and long-term effects of the injury and help them pursue fair compensation for motorcycle accident injuries.
Depending on the details of your case and the financial resources of the liable party, the types of compensation available for a road rash injury can include both economic and non-economic damages, such as:
Medical Expenses
The most common form of economic compensation for road rash victims is the cost of all medical care for treating their injuries, including the cost of being hospitalized due to infection and any other medical services deemed necessary after a motorcycle accident.
If your injury causes a temporary or permanent disability, you may recover compensation for home health aids, specialized medical equipment, or ongoing physical therapy.
Lost Income
Road rash victims with serious injuries are very likely to lose income due to being unable to work for days, weeks, or even months Statistik beratung. A motorcycle accident claim can pursue compensation that makes up for these lost wages and any future losses resulting from a temporary or permanent disability.
Lost Quality of Life
Road rash injuries can drastically impact the victim’s quality of life, ranging from decreased mobility to pain and suffering buch schreiben lassen. Victims of road rash may be able to seek compensation for the non-economic, intangible losses from not being able to participate in activities they once enjoyed or for struggling with poor mental health in the aftermath of the accident.
How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
In the aftermath of an accident that caused serious road rash, many victims won’t be familiar with their options for recovering compensation google ads Agentur. Every case is unique, and the best course of action will depend on whether or not you live in a no-fault state, the extent of your damages, the evidence available, the potentially liable parties that can be held responsible for negligence, and many other factors.
An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer trained to navigate the complexities of the legal process can be a powerful ally to ensure your best interests are being protected. Here are some of the ways a skilled attorney can advocate for victims of road rash injuries:
Investigate the Accident
Motorcycle accident lawyers know that to win their case, there needs to be a solid investigation into the circumstances that caused their client’s accident.
To do this, they use various methods to determine what happened and identify any negligent parties involved.
- Interview any witnesses that can shed light on events before, during, and after the accident,
- Review and analyze police reports to gather valuable information, photos taken at the accident scene, and whether any vehicle involved committed a traffic violation or was driving while intoxicated.
- Consult with forensic experts that can build a complete understanding of the accident, such as by determining the vehicles’ speeds or identifying whether any road defects contributed to the accident.
Document the Victim’s Damages
Attorneys use a combination of strategies to substantiate their client’s physical suffering, financial losses, and emotional pain.
With the proper evidence, they can make a compelling case to ensure their client receives fair compensation.
- Economic damages: The proof of economic damages will include all medical bills, employment records showing the client’s financial losses, and documentation for any other out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident. In the case of serious injuries that cause long-term disability, your motorcycle accident lawyer would create a comprehensive life-care plan, an estimate of all the future medical services and lost income that should also be compensated.
- Non-economic damages: These intangible losses are much more subjective, but it’s still possible to substantiate the emotional and psychological damages that road rash victims experience in the aftermath of getting hurt seo texte schreiben lassen. For example, an attorney can collect testimonies from family and friends about the extent of a claimant’s pain and suffering and changes in their behavior, mental state, and quality of life.
Negotiate With Insurers
While this process can be done without a motorcycle accident attorney, insurance companies are notorious for offering a much lower settlement than what you deserve Amazon Agentur. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer to advocate for your rights can make all the difference, especially if you’re pursuing compensation for a severe road rash injury that caused significant damages.
A motorcycle accident attorney can leverage the evidence to support their counteroffers and help you get the financial support you need to heal and move forward after the accident.
If you suffered road rash injuries in an accident, don’t hesitate to contact a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer to get the help and guidance you need to build a strong claim. The right motorcycle accident attorney will work diligently to understand your case, identify every possible avenue for pursuing compensation and protect your legal rights throughout every step of the process.