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Compensation from Road Rash After a Motorcycle Accident

Compensation from Road Rash After a Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycle riding can be a very enjoyable and convenient mode of transportation. Many motorcyclists choose to ride for personal enjoyment, to join social riding groups, and for the ease of commuting and finding good parking. And with the recent spike in gas prices, it’s nice to be able to save some money at the pump.  However, as fun and convenient as motorcycle riding may be, it can also come with disadvantages—mainly that it is more dangerous and puts riders at an increased risk of suffering from a serious or even fatal motorcycle accident injury. And one type of motorcycle accident injury that is most common amongst motorcycle riders is road rash.

Though road rash might not sound like a serious injury, it can be quite serious and even fatal. This is why it’s so important for motorcyclists to take extra precautions to protect themselves, including their riding behaviors, the protective gear they wear, and even the steps they take after an accident has occurred.

After a Kentucky motorcycle accident, for example, working with an attorney can help ensure the injured rider gets the full and fair compensation they need to cover their medical bills. Treatment for injuries like road rash can be quite expensive, but filing a personal injury claim can help victims get settlements to cover their accident-related expenses. And you are more likely to be awarded a higher settlement with an attorney on your side. 

What Is Motorcycle Road Rash?

Road rash is one of the most common motorcycle accident injuries. This type of injury occurs when parts of the body and skin drag or scrape against a hard, abrasive surface, such as pavement or asphalt. When this happens, the skin can suffer from severe abrasions that leave the skin raw, red, and inflamed. In the worst cases, road rash can even result in large areas of skin being removed and scraped away. 

As motorcyclists have less protection for their bodies when they crash, this makes them highly vulnerable to road rash compared to others on the road in passenger vehicles or trucks. Road rash is classified similarly to a burn from a motorcycle. Unfortunately, road rash can be incredibly painful and take a long time to heal from. It can even leave the victim with severe scarring and disfigurement. 

There are generally three types of road rash and three degrees of severity.

Types of road rash:

  • Compression road rash occurs when the skin is damaged from being crushed or trapped between the motorcycle and the road. 
  • Avulsion road rash occurs when the skin is scraped away from the body. 
  • Open wound road rash is when the skin is lacerated and broken, likely requiring stitches and even skin grafts or plastic surgery. 

Degrees of road rash:

First-degree road rash is when the skin is red and inflamed with minor scratches and bruising.

Second-degree road rash occurs when the skin is more severely broken, breaking open the top layer of the epidermis. 

Third-degree road rash is the most severe and occurs when abrasions are deep beyond the first layer of skin, and the skin may even have been fully scraped away in areas, leaving nerves, tendons, muscle, and even bone exposed. 

How Is Road Rash Treated?

How road rash is treated will depend on the type of road rash and the severity. It is important, however, for any victim of road rash to get checked out as even minor to mild road rash can result in infection and severe inflammation of the wounds is not cared for properly. There could also be internal bleeding even if the skin is not severely broken. 

For minor road rash, such as first-degree road rash, you will likely only need to clean the wound, bandage the area, and use ice and pain meds for any swelling. For second-degree road rash, the wounds will need to be more thoroughly cleaned and may require special creams or salves to help with healing and prevent infection. 

Third-degree road rash will likely require immediate medical attention and may require surgery to stop the bleeding and stitch the wounds together. There is also the chance that the victim will require skin grafts or plastic surgery. This level of road rash is the hardest to treat, takes the longest to heal from, and can more easily lead to infection or sepsis, which can be fatal. 

How Much Compensation Can You Get for a Road Rash Injury?

When it comes to compensation for a road rash injury after a motorcycle accident, how much money you will be awarded depends on several factors. No set amount is pre-determined for road rash personal injury cases as each case is unique. 

The factors that can play a role in how much you are awarded include:

  • Who was at fault
  • Insurance policy limits
  • Cost of medical treatments
  • Loss of wages and future earning capacity due to being unable to work
  • How severe the damage was in the accident
  • How the road rash injury impacts the victim’s quality of life
  • How much the victim is suffering physically and emotionally after the accident

Generally, when you file a personal injury claim, the guilty party’s insurance will be responsible for evaluating the above factors and awarding the victim a settlement based on the total damages. However, it is not uncommon for insurers to downplay evidence or to find other ways to reduce the settlement amount. 

This is why it is crucial to work with an attorney after a motorcycle accident injury. A personal injury attorney can gather sufficient evidence of the factors listed above and help you fight against the insurance company to ensure they award you a fair settlement that fully compensates you for all you have suffered and potentially will continue to suffer in the future. 

Trust McCoy & Sparks—Premier Personal Injury Attorneys in Central Kentucky

If you or a loved one suffer from a road rash from a motorcycle accident, our team of legal experts can help. We understand the losses one can suffer after such a tragic accident and are dedicated to helping our clients get the full settlement they deserve. 

Recognized as one of Central Kentucky’s best law firms for over a decade, McCoy & Sparks represents thousands of clients in Central Kentucky with a focus on providing premium service. Our goal is to develop a strategy that best serves your personal needs to help you achieve the best possible outcome. 

You owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Make the right call to (844) 4KY-WINS for a risk-free consultation with one of our motorcycle accident injury attorneys today.