Can road rash be fatal?

When you regained consciousness, you were in a hospital bed at Holy Cross, and had bandages wrapped around your torso, neck, and arms. Your family was sitting outside and your wife and mother were sitting next to you. They explained what happened, that you crashed on Sligo Creek and your motorcycle dragged you 15 feet into the Golf Course, causing severe road rash over 20 percent of your body—which was not protected by pads. After allowing this to sink in for a minute, they both took turns yelling at you for not taking proper precautions.

You attempted to calm them down by assuring them that road rash isn’t fatal, so they have nothing to worry about. Right?

Risks of Road Rash

Although road rash itself isn’t generally life threatening, the damage it causes could be severe enough to cause life-altering changes. In cases of severe, or third-degree road rash, skin can actually become flayed off, exposing bone, tissue, and severing nerves as well as creating large scars. In these cases, the risk for permanent damage is extremely high. Additionally, if severe abrasions aren’t carefully cleaned, maintained, and monitored, they could cause critical risks that could change your life or even be potentially fatal. These risks include:

• Infections – If not treated, infections can spread from the wounded area to your blood stream and then to your organs and brain.
• Blood loss
• Amputations
• Tetanus – If not vaccinated.
• Disfiguring scars

No matter the severity of your injuries or the degree of your abrasions, you should always seek medical attention after a motorcycle accident to assess any and all possible damage. Not only is this in your best interest health wise, but getting a fully documented injury assessment can also be beneficial for your injury claim.

Not sure if you want to pursue a compensatory claim? Contact us today to review your case and find out how much you may be entitled to for damages and suffering. Treatments and recovery can not only be long and arduous, but extremely expensive. Don’t become overwhelmed in medical debt when you deserve to have them paid for you. Call or contact us today for a free consultation—we’re here to help you.

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