Motorcycle Accident Injuries and Road Rash: What to Do

Road rash is one of the more common injuries that riders suffer in a motorcycle accident. Any accident that leads to a fall or skid can cause road rash, lacerations, broken bones, and other injuries. Riders can suffer motorcycle injuries and road rash in a single-vehicle accident caused by hydroplaning or a bike malfunction, or in an accident with another motor vehicle.

Types of Road Rash

There are different types and degrees of road rash injuries that require various types of treatment. You can usually treat less serious types of road rash injuries at home, but more serious types of road rash require professional medical care.

The different types of road rash include:

• Avulsions: These scrapes leave skin on the pavement, exposing layers of blood vessels, fat, and even muscle and bone.
• Compression: When a body part becomes trapped between two objects in an accident, it can lead to bruises, broken bones, muscle damage, and other injuries.
• Open wounds: Any gaping or open wounds can cause severe infections if not treated appropriately with stitches, liquid skin, or a skin graft.

Degrees of Road Rash

Any type of road rash injury can cause varying degrees of damage to the skin and other tissue layers. Depending on how severe the injury is, you might require minimal medical attention or more serious medical intervention. The degrees for motorcycle injuries and road rash are:

• First-degree road rash, which might require initial medical attention, but will allow you to perform follow-up care at home. These injuries usually include shallow scrapes, cuts, and bruising.
• Second-degree injuries, which usually remove several layers of skin and embed debris into the wound. This debris can cause an infection or scarring if not treated properly.
• Third-degree injuries, which include deep wounds that can penetrate multiple tissue layers, sometimes even to the bone. These injuries require immediate medical attention.

Home Treatment for Road Rash Injuries

If treating a minor case of road rash at home, you should always wash your hands with soap and warm water before tending to your wound. Clean the wound with clean water by flushing water over the wound to lift debris away. You can use gauze or a cotton swab, but be gentle to prevent pushing any debris deeper into the wound.

Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on road rash wounds. Both can damage the edges of your skin, preventing adequate healing. Instead, use an antibiotic ointment or spray after cleaning with water.

Leave your wound exposed to air for a few minutes before applying the dressing so the ointment or spray solution has time to absorb into your skin instead of the dressing. For smaller areas, a Band-Aid or adhesive gauze pad will work. For larger areas, you will likely need a large gauze pad and medical tape or wound dressing bandages.

Change your dressings regularly to allow your wound to air out. Wet wounds don’t heal. Look for signs of infection each time you change your dressing, and seek medical attention if you notice any issues.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If your wound is more severe than you can comfortably treat at home, or if you’ve been treating your wound at home and noticed signs of infection like fever, redness, swelling, or a foul odor, seek professional medical care immediately.

A doctor can determine a treatment course for second- and third-degree road rash cases, as well as prescribe antibiotics for first-degree injury infections.

Injured in a Motorcycle Accident? Call the Law Tigers

Motorcycle injuries and road rash are common after an accident. If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, contact Law Tigers. Call today at 1-888-863-7216 for a free case evaluation.