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Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Road Rash

Posted on behalf of James Lynch on May 15, 2018  in Motorcycle Accident News. Updated on March 2, 2022

helmet next to motorcycle crashMany motorcyclists suffer road rash, an injury that may cause long-term medical complications and costly treatment.

Fortunately, victims who suffered road rash during a motorcycle accident may be entitled to compensation for their injury and financial losses.

Lynch Law Firm, PC’s New Jersey motorcycle accident attorneys have a strong record of assisting accident victims and pursuing maximum compensation for their injuries. Contact us for a free, no obligation consultation so we can review your case and determine which legal options are available after your motorcycle accident.

Types of Road Rash

Road rash is a term that describes the abrasions and scrapes that happen when skin slides across the surface of a roadway during a motorcycle accident.

Based on its severity, a road rash injury can be categorized into three degrees:

  • First-degree: This is a minor injury affecting the skin’s outer layer that may result in redness and a burning sensation, but typically does not require medical treatment.
  • Second-degree: The outer layer of the skin is broken and may result in pain, swelling and minor scarring. This level of road rash injury may require medical care.
  • Third-degree: This is a serious injury affecting both the outer and inner layers of the skin. Immediate medical care is required. Skin loss and scarring typically result, and skin graft surgery may be required to treat the affected skin.

Higher degree road rash injuries can affect the victim for some time. Injuries can cause infections, scarring and disfigurement that may require ongoing medical care.

Road Rash Injuries

Road rash can cause several different types of injuries ranging from minor to severe, including:

  • Lacerations: Scrapes and cuts caused by road rash are typically minor, but could require stitches and medical treatment.
  • Avulsion injuries: This condition occurs when the skin’s outer layer is torn away, exposing underlying muscles, fat tissue and bone.
  • Compression injuries: Excessive pressure caused when a body part is pinned between the bike and something else, such as the road, a building, another vehicle or a tree, can damage the skin. This results in abrasions, penetrations, bruising, crushing or severed limbs.

Although most road rash injuries do not require medical treatment, others may require ongoing medical care and result in long-term side effects.

Compensation for Road Rash Injuries

Road rash injuries may require extensive and costly medical treatment. Furthermore, a severe road-rash injury may result in victims losing income and wages if it prevents them from working.

If you have suffered a road-rash injury during a motorcycle accident, you may be able to recover compensation for:

  • Past and future medical treatment
  • Hospital visits
  • Doctors’ appointments
  • Medical tests, imaging and diagnostic tests
  • Surgery
  • Prescription medications
  • Assistive devices, including braces and crutches
  • Expenses for traveling to and from medical appointments

Lost Wages

If your road rash injury is so severe you are unable to work, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages. This includes all of the income you would have earned had you not been forced to miss work while recovering from your injury.

Additionally, if your injury is so severe that you cannot return to your regular job, you may be able to recover compensation for lost earning capacity. This type of compensation covers the wages you would have earned from your occupation had you not been injured in the accident.

If you suffer permanent disability due to your accident, you may be entitled to compensation covering vocational training related to a new position that you can perform with your limitations, if you cannot perform your previous job.

Pain and Suffering

In some cases, victims who suffer road rash may experience significant pain that interferes with their ability to live a normal and functional life.

If you have experienced severe limitations due to a motorcycle accident road-rash injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering.

However, compensation for pain and suffering can only be acquired by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. To determine the amount of compensation you may be able to receive, your attorney will factor in the amount of pain, discomfort, physical limitation and mental anguish you have experienced after the accident.

Contact Lynch Law Firm, PC for Help

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, Lynch Law Firm, PC’s New Jersey personal injury attorneys will fight to recover the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Request a free, no obligation consultation to find out which legal options may be available to pursue compensation for your injuries. We provide our services on a contingency fee basis, which means you will not be charged upfront legal fees. Our attorneys only receive payment if you recover compensation for your claim.

Call (800) 518-0508 today.

* Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

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