Are You A Victim Of Road Rash?

Serving Road Rash Victims Nationwide

Road rash is a term that is all too common a phrase when it comes to motorcyclists from all around. Although there are different severities of road rash, if you are afflicted with it, you know that it can be both uncomfortable and painful. Road rash has the ability to debilitate a person. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident that has caused you harm by way of road rash, you need to think about what The Doan Law Firm can do for you.

The Extent Of A Degree

Road rash can leave you at the least sore, and at the worst, it can leave you incapacitated. Depending on how you landed on the road when you got into your motorcycle accident will determine how badly you got scraped and tattered.

Road rash is graded on three levels of severity just as with burns. There is first degree road rash which, although uncomfortable, does not usually require medical attention. First degree road rash can be compared with the classic “rug burn” one can get if they were lying down on a carpet or slid hard on carpeting.

Second degree road rash usually does not require extreme medical attention. The skin, however, was broken at this degree of motorcycle road rash. There are still intact, lower layers of skin though at this degree. Over the counter antibiotic creams and soothing lotions can be of a big help for this type of road rash.

The most devastating of all road rash incidents is a third degree motorcycle road rash. At this severity, the road rash injury always requires immediate attention from a medical professional. All five layers of skin have been broken and often times, the rash has scraped down to penetrate the layer of fat beneath the broken skin. When third degree road rash is present, oral antibiotics and pain medication is often needed. The incidence for infection is quite high.

How To Go About Treatment

Depending on the degree of road rash that was acquired from the motorcycle accident, different treatments will be needed. If first degree road rash was of a concern, then normally, the option of letting nature take its course will do. Washing the area with warm, soapy water is always a good idea for prophylactic care. If the road rash is irritating enough, some topical soothing lotion and antibiotic cream can be applied. It would be rare to need to seek professional medical attention for this mild of a case.

Second degree road rash requires more attention than first degree. A few layers of skin have been penetrated at this severity and the risk of infection is of concern. The affected area should always be washed with warm, soapy water. One should avoid scrubbing the area, as there is also an increased risk for scarring to happen at this stage of road rash. Once the area is clean, over the counter antibiotic cream and soothing salves will be important to use. Considerable pain can be caused by this severity of road rash. It may be recommended to seek professional medical attention if the injuries do not start to heal within a few days. Sometimes the pain alone will coerce someone into seeking medical attention to obtain some pain medication.

The most severe of all road rash, third degree road rash, is considered to be a condition that requires immediate professional medical attention. When all layers of skin have been torn and injured in this case, the incidence for infection is extremely high. In almost all cases, a course of oral and topical antibiotics are necessary. The pain level can be extremely severe in cases of third degree motorcycle road rash. It is wise to be under the supervision of medical professionals for periods upward of a few weeks to ensure the proper healing of the injuries. Just as with the higher incidence of infection for this severity of road rash, the risk for permanent scarring is imminent as well.

Coping With Long Term Consequences Of Motorcycle Road Rash

The two areas of main concern when thinking of long term effects of road rash are systemic infection and scarring.

Depending on the severity of the road rash, infection throughout the body can be of a major concern. When a case of road rash was bad enough, the deep wounds it leaves through the skin is a gateway for all types of bacteria to enter the body. The body of course then tries to fight off the invaders. This process can leave a toll on the body and all of its organs.

At times, the use of the antibiotics used to help the body kill the bacteria, could have caused stomach upset, loss of good bacteria in the gut, and even liver damage. Treatment for any of the side effects of the antibiotics usually entail the use of probiotics (“good” bacteria) on a daily basis and the careful use of medications in the future to prevent further organ damage or stress.

Scarring can be another battle victims of road rash need to be concerned with. More commonly seen in victims of third degree road rash, scarring can be unsightly and take away from the beauty of once supple skin. Plastic surgery is sometimes an option for those that feel the scarring affects their day to day emotional and mental state. According to CostHelper Health, the price can range from 100 dollars to 5,000 dollars depending on the amount and complexity of the scar tissue that needs to be removed.

We Are On Your Side

If you have suffered motorcycle road rash, you need to contact us here at The Doan Law Firm. We are here 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to serve you. There are no fees that will be your responsibility unless we win a case for you. We are number one in customer service, and our goal is to make you satisfied. Do not hesitate another moment – call for a free phone consultation today!