Motorcycle Road Rash Injuries

Motorcycle Road Rash Injuries

The very nature of operating a motorcycle means that injuries are more likely to occur in the event an accident happens. Typically, we think of serious injuries like brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, broken or dislocated bones, or lacerations when it comes to motorcycle accidents. However, road rash is a significant injury that can lead to incredible pain and suffering. Here, we want to examine how road rash occurs and whether or not individuals can recover compensation for these types of injuries.

What is Motorcycle Road Rash?

Road rash injuries occur in a wide variety of ways, not just in motorcycle accidents. This is a type of friction wound that occurs when a person’s skin comes into contact with the roadway. The friction between the skin and the roadway often results in the skin becoming scalped off by the harder surface or a smoother surface for an extended period of time. For example, yes, falling off of a motorcycle and coming into contact with the roadway could cause road rash. Additionally, the same type of injury could occur if a person falls off of a treadmill and then comes into contact with a part of the machinery.

Obviously, road rash injuries involving a motorcycle incident are much more likely to be severe. Road rash can occur on any part of the body that is exposed to the roadway, including arms, legs, face, torso, etc. Additionally, if an individual is operating a motorcycle at a high enough speed and collides with the ground, even areas covered by clothing could experience road rash injuries if the clothing is worn away as a result of the incident.

Road rash often only affects the upper layer of the skin. However, this type of incident also regularly affects the lower layers of the skin. In severe cases, road rash injuries can tear through all layers of skin and into the muscles and ligaments, or even the bone.

Recovering Compensation for Road Rash

During the latest reporting year in California, that were more than 10,000 total motorcycle accident injuries. There is no exact data on how many of these injuries included road rash, but it is important for individuals to know that they should be able to recover compensation if their injuries were caused by the negligent actions of another driver.

Any motorcyclist harmed by the negligence of another driver needs to work with a skilled attorney who can begin an investigation into the incident. Individuals who sustain road rash injuries often incur significant medical bills, particularly for more severe injuries. Motorcycle crash victims may not be able to work while they recover, and they could have extensive scarring and disfigurement as a result of the road rash.

A Riverside motorcycle accident attorney will work with medical and economic experts to help calculate total expected losses in order to recover compensation through an insurance settlement or through a personal injury lawsuit filed against the at-fault party. There is no set amount of compensation paid for road rash injuries. Rather, various factors, such as the severity of the injury, whether or not an individual can work, and levels of scarring and disfigurement or disability, will all be taken into account.