How Much Does Road Rash Cost to Treat?
Motorcycles are a fun and efficient way to get from place to place. Unfortunately, unlike drivers in passenger vehicles, motorcyclists do not have the same protections making them more prone to severe injuries when involved in car accidents.
Without the protection of a seatbelt or the body of a typical passenger vehicle, a motorcyclist can easily fall from their bike, exposing them to additional and significant risks. Road rash is a common injury when a motorcyclist slides across the road after getting thrown from their vehicle.
Road rash may sound innocuous, but these injuries can be serious, painful, and require expensive medical care. If you were in an accident where you suffered road rash or another serious injury, seek a medical evaluation as soon as possible.
Consider consulting with an experienced
motorcycle crash accident attorney if you suffered an injury after an accident due to another person’s negligence. Our
motorcycle accident lawyers have extensive experience pursuing compensation for victims of motorcycle crashes and are prepared to protect your rights.
What Is Road Rash?
Road rash refers to abrasions resulting from your skin coming into contact and scraping against the pavement. Often with this injury, the skin bleeds and appears red or raw. These injuries can range from minor to severe, but the wound that results from road rash is typically quite painful.
Like they do with burn injuries, doctors classify road rash injuries by degree. How far your body slides against the pavement, the speed of your body when it hits the road, and the texture of the pavement’s surface will determine the degree of the injury you may sustain after a collision.
The most severe type of road rash injury affects all the layers of skin and, sometimes, more. These injuries may result in extensive scarring, broken skin, or skin loss. Treating this injury may require extensive treatments such as skin grafts and medications. When a road rash affects the deeper layers of your skin or even the muscle and fat below, you may need to undergo a painful medical process that involves removing dangerous dirt and debris from the wound.
Road rash is painful, and no matter the degree, it can significantly disrupt your everyday life. Primary injuries due to road rash may worsen, causing secondary health issues like an infection, tissue and nerve damage, disfiguring scars, or permanent discoloration of your healed skin. A severe case of road rash can worsen and lead to chronic pain or
life-threatening infection. If you suspect you’ve sustained a severe case of road rash, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Signs You Should Seek Treatment for Road Rash
Motorcycle accident victims that suffer from road rash may experience severe medical complications or require extensive medical treatment. Seeking a medical evaluation after an accident is essential and can safeguard your health in the long run. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may experience a wide range of symptoms.
If you sustained a severe injury, consult a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Failing to treat an injury promptly is risky for your health and can be detrimental to your motorcycle accident case.
Consider seeking treatment for road rash if you experience effects such as:
- Severe pain
- Persistent bleeding
- Signs of an infection
- Swelling
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
If you notice that your injury is large, see embedded objects in your skin, or you can see the fat or bone below the skin after an accident, visit an emergency room as soon as you can. When a wound stays open whenever your skin is relaxed, you notice signs of infection such as pus oozing from the wound, or it has not healed with first aid, seek medical treatment.
It is not uncommon to suffer from
post-traumatic stress after an accident, so talk to a mental health professional if you experience emotional distress or trauma after a crash.
Types of Treatment for Road Rash Injury
After a motorcycle accident, you should seek the care of a medical professional as soon as possible. A medical professional will assess the severity of your road rash and determine the degree of the injury by conducting a physical examination. They will clean your wound to prevent an infection from developing and recommend a tetanus shot if necessary.
Treatment for road rash injuries is similar to
treating other types of burn injuries. The primary aim of treating road rash is to minimize scarring and prevent further complications. Antibiotics may be prescribed to you if you develop an infection. In more severe cases, you may require hospitalizations, medical debridement, specialized wound care, or X-rays if your doctor thinks your injury extends below the skin.
There are different treatment plans for addressing different types of road rash injuries.
You want to start with an evaluation from a medical professional for most road rash injuries. They can professionally clean the wound if it is possible at that time. Having professional help right away can minimize the complications you later experience.
For the most severe road rash cases, always seek emergency medical attention. You might have to stay in the hospital or a burn center for days or weeks. These injuries can require highly painful skin grafts that often do not work the first time and require additional procedures.
Never wait to seek the advice of a medical professional if you experience any of the painful symptoms described above. The sooner you begin treatment, the better your chances of healing properly.
Scheduling a medical evaluation right away is also an excellent way to protect your rights if you file a motorcycle accident claim. Treating burn injuries helps the victim regain movement abilities and minimize scarring in the affected area. In cases of severe road rash, physical and occupational therapy or scar revision surgery may be necessary for a motorcycle accident victim.
While undergoing treatment, your doctors may require you to refrain from your usual activities. You might feel isolated in a burn unit, and you likely experienced severe pain or might be under the influence of heavy-duty pain medication. These aspects of road rash injuries can result in devastating pain and suffering - both physical and mental - for injury victims.
Compensation for a Motorcycle Road Rash Injury
Costs for treating road rash can add up quickly, and losses involve much more than just medical bills.
If your injuries happened due to another party’s negligence, your burn injury lawyer can seek compensation for the following losses and expenses:
- Medical bills (including future costs for medical care)
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Permanent scarring
Just as medical expenses are a costly loss from a burn injury, so are the trauma and pain you experience. In many cases, the pain, suffering, and disfigurement far outweigh the financial costs, and you want a lawyer who knows how to account for your road rash-related pain and suffering when pursuing an insurance claim.
Some factors used to determine the value of your claim include:
- The location and size of your injury
- The degree of the damage you suffered
- Whether you sustained scarring, disfigurement,
- How the injury impacted your life
After a motorcycle crash, the liable party and their insurance company will do whatever is necessary to place the blame on you or avoid paying your claim. Often, the insurance company questions the severity of the injury to justify paying much less in pain and suffering compensation.
Your lawyer should know how to present evidence to support your financial losses and pain and suffering award. Evidence of financial losses can be straightforward, including medical bills you received and pay statements showing your missed work and lost wages.
If you will have future financial losses, such as for ongoing medical treatment or lost earning ability, your lawyer may need to get expert estimates.
Evidence of pain and suffering can include expert testimony on the pain usually stemming from your type of injury, journals you kept during recovery, witness statements from loved ones, and more. Some insurers multiply medical expenses to reach a pain and suffering value, but this often results in a low estimate.
An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can protect your rights against the insurance company. Consult a knowledgeable
motorcycle accident attorney about your claim. A lawyer can review your claim and advise you about the next steps you should take to maximize your chances of obtaining the settlement award you deserve.
Motorcycle Accident and Injury FAQs
#1. What are some common causes of motorcycle accidents?
Common causes of motorcycle collisions include driver negligence, defective motorcycles, road hazards, or negligent drivers. Anyone from another driver to a vehicle manufacturer may be held liable for a motorcycle crash.
One of our attorneys will work with you to analyze the facts of your case and gather supporting evidence to determine if anyone involved in the accident acted negligently. Anyone whose negligent behavior directly contributed to the accident will be responsible for covering the cost of the victim’s medical expenses and losses.
#2. What should I do if I’m involved in a motorcycle accident?
Knowing what to do after a motorcycle collision can keep you safe and protect your rights.
If you're in an accident on your motorcycle, the first thing you should do is get to safety.
Once you and all parties involved have moved to a safe location, call 911 and wait for an investigating officer to arrive. Make your first priority after any accident to protect and preserve your health and seek a medical evaluation as soon as possible after a motorcycle crash.
#3. What documents should I gather to prepare to meet with my motorcycle accident lawyer?
Keeping all documents and relevant information about your case is essential and can improve your chance of a successful outcome. Before meeting with your attorney, gather copies of your medical reports, bills, the liable party's insurance information, any photos or videos, and any other information or documents you believe show the full extent of your injuries and losses.
#4. If I wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, will I still be eligible to recover damages?
Failing to wear a safety helmet at the time of the accident will not prevent you from pursuing compensation, but it may affect the value of the damages you’re entitled to receive.
#5. Why shouldn’t I hire a lawyer if I was offered a settlement right after my accident?
Be wary of quick offers from the insurance company. The at-fault party’s insurance company will try to get you to settle for less than what you deserve. Hiring an attorney who will have your best interest in mind can prevent you from falling prey to the insurance company’s tactics.
Before accepting any offer too quickly, consult with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer who will evaluate your offer and determine whether the insurer is offering fair compensation.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and Get the Help You Need!
If you were in an accident that was not your fault and suffered a road rash injury, you should not have to pay a penny out of pocket for your losses. Victims of motorcycle accidents caused by a negligent party may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and emotional pain and suffering.
A motorcycle accident lawyer with extensive experience can fight to recover full and fair compensation.
Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer for a consultation for compassionate advice and legal expertise.