The nature by which road rash is obtained makes it one of the most common injuries a motorcycle accident victim stand to sustain. With little to no protection to shield a motorcyclist from the road, the likelihood of experiencing road rash in the event of a crash is likely. Motorcyclists can be at a great disadvantage when they venture out on the road. Road rash can be an incredibly painful injury to experience. There are a number of options available to patients who require medical treatment for this type of injury. Additionally, suffering from a motorcycle accident at the hands of a negligent driver can be especially challenging. Contacting a motorcycle accident attorney may be the most appropriate recourse.
Road Rash
Road rash is a skin abrasion that is caused by the friction of the skin rubbing up against the surface of something. In situations involving motorcycle accidents, road rash often occurs when the skin rubs against the road’s concrete surface. Although road rash can sound like a fairly benign injury, the aftermath to road rash can be incredibly painful and even, life threatening. Examples of symptoms a road rash victim may suffer include:
- Fluid Loss/Dehydration
- Skin Loss
- Infection
- Nerve Damage
It can be surprising to realize that should your body skid or scrape across the road, that you could actually lose your skin. Although in some milder cases you may be able to heal rather quickly, other more severe situations may take much longer to heal.
Common Treatments
In some ways, treatment for road rash is similar to the process of treating burns. Although in most cases, a motorcycle accident will trigger the need for medical care, a medical professional should always treat road rash. In most cases, road rash is not a life threatening injury. Because of this, a medical professional may look to treat other more concerning injuries first. A doctor may provide road rash treatment that includes:
- Thoroughly cleaning the area. In some cases, this may even require removing debris such as glass or gravel from the affected area.
- Frequently changing bandaging, using a saline solution to clean the wound
- Skin Grafting
- Keeping the area moist can assist in the healing process.
- Keep the affected area covered with a light piece of gauze to prevent bacteria from getting into the skin.
- Look for signs of infection and seek medical attention immediately, should you notice: fever, puss, redness, and increased pain.
It’s important that a medical professional at least checks you out. Seeking treatment for road rash can help mitigate the risk of an infection and help to reduce the risk of scarring.
Have you recently experienced road rash from a motorcycle accident? Or perhaps you have obtained injuries that extend far beyond just road rash? Motorcycle accidents can produce horrific outcomes. As a result of the losses you have suffered, if you believe someone is to blame for the accident, you may choose to pursue a personal injury claim with the assistance of a motorcycle accident lawyer Salt Lake City, UT relies on.
Thank you to our friends and contributors at Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into personal injury claims and road rash after a motorcycle accident.