According to the Journal of Burn Care & Research, a patient with a road rash injury should consult a burn surgeon as early as possible due to a high risk of infection, contamination, and scarring. Although prompt treatment is always crucial, a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Mississippi may also be a positive choice. A meeting with one of these legal professionals could help injured victims consider pathways toward compensation. This compensation may help patients cover surgeries, including reconstructive procedures for scarring. A road rash injury is often caused by a motorcycle crash, and a negligent motorist may have caused this injury. To learn more about accountability after a road rash injury, patients may choose to contact Lott Law at (228) 215-2787.
How Do I Know if I Have Road Rash?
The proper medical term for a road rash injury is “friction burn.” This type of injury often occurs when motorcyclists fall off their bikes and onto the roadway. If this ejection occurs at high speeds, the motorcyclist then slides across the hard surface for a considerable distance. This friction can scrape away layers of clothing and skin, causing considerable and sometimes permanent abrasions. Protective clothing can prevent or mitigate road rash injuries. However, this powerful abrasive force can also tear through leather and other safety gear.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, road rash can be “superficial,” “partial,” or “full.” A superficial road rash injury only affects the top layer of the skin (the epidermis). Patients with superficial road rash injuries often recover fully with no permanent scarring. A friction burn with partial thickness affects both the epidermis and the dermis, and it can potentially cause permanent scarring. A full-thickness road rash injury (also known as a third-degree friction burn) extends past the dermis and into the fat layer beneath the skin. The Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America (BRCA) notes that although this is the most serious type of road rash injury, it may be painless due to nerve damage. Third-degree friction burns are associated with high rates of permanent scarring.
Always See a Doctor After a Motorcycle Crash
Regardless of how serious or light the road rash injury seems to be, a victim of a motorcycle crash should always seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Average Mississippi residents are not qualified to assess the severity of their own injuries. Road rash may be much worse than it initially appears or feels, especially if nerve damage numbs the pain. Prompt treatment may also reduce the chances of permanent scarring.
In addition, it may be challenging to pursue an injury claim if an injured victim tries to treat their road rash injury at home. Although home care could be effective for superficial friction burns, it will not document the injury. Medical records represent important evidence for injured victims. Without them, it may be difficult to establish a causal relationship between the motorcycle accident and the road rash injury. As a result, it could be challenging or impossible to pursue compensation for damages.
Why Should I Contact an Attorney After a Road Rash Injury?
After an injured victim seeks medical attention, they should consider a consultation with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney in the near future. An injury attorney can help victims assess their accidents and their legal options. Even if one believes that they caused their own motorcycle accident, it may still be possible to pursue compensation. This is because Mississippi follows a doctrine of “pure comparative negligence.” Under this system, even those who are 99% responsible for their own friction burns can pursue injury claims.
Many other jurisdictions prevent victims from pursuing claims if they are more than 50% at fault for accidents. In Mississippi, a victim can cover part of their losses even if they were the primary cause of their accident. However, the comparative negligence system reduces compensation based on fault levels. For example, a motorcyclist who is 40% at fault would receive 60% of their normal compensation. Conversely, a motorcyclist who is 60% at fault would only receive 40% of their normal compensation. An injury law firm like Lott Law may be able to help injured motorcyclists show that their level of fault is relatively low.
A Road Rash Injury Can Lead to Permanent Disfigurement
Victims should know that their road rash injuries could lead to permanent disfigurement. In the immediate aftermath of a motorcycle crash, it may be difficult to determine how a friction burn will heal. The injury may leave no permanent blemishes whatsoever, or it may become a scar that never truly fades. Doctors can help patients predict the long-term effects of their friction burns, but sometimes the only realistic course of action is to wait until maximum medical improvement (MMI). At this point, the long-term consequences should be clear – and an injury attorney may be able to help victims pursue fair compensation for potentially permanent disfigurements.
Disfigurement is a legitimate non-economic damage in Mississippi. Although victims can pursue compensation for their medical expenses, they may also claim damages associated with the psychological hardships of permanent scarring. These scars can cause lasting issues like depression, the loss of self-confidence, body dysmorphia, and social anxiety. Facial scars could be particularly difficult to bear, although scars across the body may also make life challenging in many ways. Romantic relationships could be difficult for those with severe friction burns, and certain career paths may also become impossible. The pursuit of fair compensation for this non-economic damage makes sense, and an injury attorney may be able to help victims achieve some sense of closure.
Discuss Road Rash Injury With Lott Law
A road rash injury can vary tremendously in severity and type. Some of these friction burns affect the face, while others affect the body. Road rash injuries may be relatively surface-level, or they may burn through multiple layers of skin. These injuries could heal completely with time, or they may lead to permanent, disfiguring scars. Whatever the case may be, it makes sense to discuss the potential next steps with a personal injury attorney. Injured motorcyclists might want to work with motorcycle accident lawyers in Mississippi, as these attorneys may use their experience to guide victims toward positive outcomes. Continue this important dialogue with Lott Law – and consider contacting this injury law firm at (228) 215-2787.