North Denver Motorcycle Injury Attorneys
Motorcycle Road Rash
Thousands of people receive injuries each year in motorcycle accidents. Road rash is one of the most common injuries. Road rash is an informal term used to describe abrasions sustained by riders from sliding on the asphalt. The injury can be either an avulsion or compression injury and has several degrees of severity ranging from uncomfortable to quite debilitating.
Avulsion injuries happen when skin is stripped away by the road surface when a rider is thrown from, or dragged by, the motorcycle. Compression injuries result when part of the body is trapped between the bike and the road during an accident. This can cause additional bruising or crushing of the body part.
Motorcycle road rash can be classified into one of three different categories of injuries. They are ranked similarly to the manner in which burns are classified. These include:
- First-degree Motorcycle Road Rash – This type of injury is similar to rug burn, where the skin becomes reddened. First-degree road rash is not a dangerous medical condition, nor does it require medical treatment.
- Second-degree Motorcycle Road Rash – When the skin becomes broken, exposing underlying layers of tissue, motorcycle road rash is classified as second-degree. This type of injury could result in scarring. Simple over-the-counter medical treatments are typically sufficient to care for second-degree motorcycle road rash.
- Third-degree Motorcycle Road Rash – The most serious type of motorcycle road rash, third-degree injuries occur when there is complete breakage of all five layers of skin causing fat to be exposed. Third-degree road rash is very painful. The injury requires immediate medical attention, and is more susceptible to infection and complications than first or second-degree road rash.