Riding your motorcycle through the North Carolina hills is a fantastic way to spend the day. But motorcycle crashes can happen in an instant, and when they do, you could end up with a seriously nasty case of road rash.

Is road rash from a motorcycle accident serious enough to necessitate emergency care? Below, learn everything you need to know from Charlotte’s experienced motorcycle accident lawyer.

Degrees of Skin Abrasions in Motorcycle Collisions

Motorcycle road rash can range from minor to life-threatening. If you’re fortunate, you might walk away from the accident with just a few small scrapes. If your road rash is severe, you may need to hail an ambulance and hurry to the emergency room.

There are three degrees of road rash:

  • First-degree: First-degree road rash is simply a minor abrasion. That’s not to say it isn’t painful, but you typically don’t need emergency care for such an injury. You can usually treat first-degree road rash at home; the injury should heal in about two weeks.
  • Second-degree: Second-degree road rash penetrates the outer and deeper layers of the skin. If you have second-degree road rash, see a doctor promptly. They’ll clean the wound and likely give you some pain medication.
  • Third-degree: This is the worst type of road rash. It can damage nerves, muscles, bones, and internal organs. Because third-degree road rash can destroy nerve endings, you might not feel much (if any) pain, even if the injury looks severe.

Types of Road Rash Injuries

There are a few types of road rash injuries, which include:

  • Open wounds: Open wounds may require stitches to heal. If your wound is serious, you might need a skin graft.
  • Avulsion: “Avulsion” is a medical term that means the skin has been scraped away.
  • Compression: Compression injuries can occur when a body part is trapped between two objects. Such injuries can cause broken bones and muscle damage.

Is Road Rash an Emergency?

Road rash from a motorcycle accident isn’t always an emergency. However, if you’re bleeding severely or your wound looks bad but you feel no pain, go to the ER immediately.

See your doctor if:

  • Road rash pain continues to worsen.
  • The wound takes more than a few weeks to heal.
  • There is pus coming from the wound.

Motorcycle Accident Road Rash Recovery at Home

It’s often possible to treat minor road rash at home. Here’s how:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the wound. This lowers the risk of introducing infection-causing bacteria to the wound.
  • Carefully flush the wound with lukewarm water. Don’t scrub, as this can worsen the injury.
  • If there is dirt, gravel, or other debris in the wound, use tweezers to remove it.
  • Apply a layer of antibiotic ointment. This helps ward off infection and prevents bandages from sticking to the wound.
  • Cover the wound with a non-stick bandage. You may need to use gauze and medical tape if the wound is large.
  • Change the bandage and reapply ointment every couple of days.

If the pain worsens and the wound doesn’t seem to heal, see a doctor. You may have developed an infection.

Can You Hold Negligent Drivers Liable for Road Rash?

Even if you follow all motorcycle safety rules, accidents can happen. If you’re injured because of another driver’s negligence, can you hold them responsible?

Generally, yes. You can sue and recover damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. You can also seek compensation for pain and suffering caused by your road rash.

To prove negligence, your lawyer will have to establish that:

  • The other driver owed you a duty of care.
  • The driver breached this duty.
  • By breaching their duty, the driver caused an accident.
  • This accident caused damages for you.

What If You’re Partly At Fault for the Accident?

If you’re partly at fault for the crash, you may be unable to seek compensation. It depends on your state’s negligence laws. In South Carolina, for instance, you can recover damages if you’re less than 50% at fault. You can’t recover damages in North Carolina if you’re even 1% at fault.

Dependable Legal Help for Motorcycle Accident Injuries

If you’ve suffered road rash or a brain injury from a motorcycle accident, you want justice for your injuries, and rightly so. Our attorneys at Yale Haymond Law PLLC will work hard to recover damages for road rash from a motorcycle accident. You’ll pay nothing unless we win your case.

For your free consultation with a motorcycle accident lawyer, call (704) 800-HELP.