Road rash is a painful injury caused by friction burns due to contact between a victim’s exposed skin and the road in a car accident. Road rash can have long-lasting consequences, including permanent scarring and disfigurement. If you suffered a road rash in an auto accident in San Antonio, a car accident lawyer can help you seek justice and fair financial compensation for this injury.
What Is Road Rash?
Road rash is a type of friction burn that affects the skin and other soft tissues, such as the underlying tendons and muscles, in serious cases. This phrase specifically refers to friction burns that arise out of motor vehicle accidents due to a victim’s body striking the road.
t is a common type of injury in motorcycle collisions, where a motorcyclist gets dragged across the road and suffers significant scrapes, lesions and lacerations to exposed skin. Anyone ejected from a motor vehicle in a car accident is also at risk of suffering road rash injuries.
What Are Potential Health Consequences of a Road Rash Injury?
If a car accident victim suffers road rash, he or she could face a long recovery. Minor cases of road rash may heal completely and only leave faint marks or no visible scarring. However, severe cases of road rash can have longer-lasting consequences.
Potential effects include:
- Deep lacerations
- Traumatic tattooing (when debris gets permanently embedded in the skin)
- Permanent scars
- Hypertrophic or raised scars
- Physical disfigurement
- Nerve damage
- Muscle damage
- Chronic pain
- Stiffness or loss of mobility in the affected area
- Infections
- Psychological or emotional trauma
Road rash injuries can be painful and debilitating. Some victims have to live with physical reminders of the injury for the rest of their lives. This can result in reduced self-esteem, negative self-image, and reduced quality or enjoyment of life.
How to Treat Road Rash Injuries
Road rash injuries always require professional medical treatment. This type of friction burn is prone to infection due to the exposed wound and contact with dirt, rubble and debris. Getting medical care as soon as possible is the best way to mitigate physical damage from road rash.
Common treatments include:
- Surgical scrubbing to thoroughly cleanse the wound of foreign items
- Wound debridement, or the removal of dead or infected tissue
- Application of an antibiotic ointment or solution to prevent infection
- The use of bandages or gauze to protect the area
- Frequent bandage changes to prevent infection
Topical or general anesthesia may be used during the cleaning and treatment processes to reduce pain. Most cases of road rash heal within about two weeks. If your wound is not healing after this time period or you notice possible signs of infection (such as pus in the wound or a fever), get examined by your doctor for a possible deeper injury.
Collecting Compensation for a Road Rash Injury
Road rash is a compensable type of injury in a Texas car accident claim. This means that as a victim, you may qualify for compensation from the at-fault party to help you pay for the bills and losses associated with your friction burns. Your payment could include damages for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and lost quality of life.
Hiring an experienced car accident attorney to represent you during insurance settlement negotiations or a personal injury trial in San Antonio can ensure that you achieve the best possible results for your case. Your lawyer will work relentlessly to pursue maximum compensation using proven legal tactics. Learn more today during a free consultation at Hill Law Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers.