Road Rash Risks, Causes, and Healing Timelines

If a motorcyclist finds themselves in a collision with another vehicle, they are more likely to experience severe and dangerous injuries. Motorcycles lack seat belts, outer shields, and other methods of protection that passenger vehicles provide occupants. One of the common injuries that you may suffer in a motorcycle crash is road rash, which is known to be extremely painful and even life-threatening at times.

What are the symptoms of road rash?

Most people have experienced a minor scrape at some point in their life. However, it is important to realize that road rash is usually a lot more serious than a minor scrape. If you think that you may have road rash after a motorcycle accident, some of the symptoms you can look for include:

• Very red patches of skin
• Raw, swollen, or inflamed areas on your skin
• Patches of skin missing
• Bleeding
• Extreme and recurring pain for several days
• Numbness in the injured area

Road rash can lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement, infections, and septic shock. Therefore, if you notice any signs of road rash, it is crucial to visit and inform a medical provider to determine what type of treatment you need right away.

How does road rash commonly occur in San Antonio?

As mentioned, road rash usually occurs when a person’s skin forcefully glides across a hard surface, such as a road, sidewalk, gravel, dirt, or asphalt. Therefore, when a motorcycle rider crashes, falls, or is ejected from their bike, they have an increased risk of sliding across the roadway and experiencing road rash. There are a few of the common ways that motorcycles experience road rash in San Antonio. Keeping these in mind can help you avoid them.

Going around a curve or turning too fast

When a motorcyclist goes around a curve or turns too fast, they risk losing control of the bike and being thrown off. Depending on their motorcycle type, their angle could be too close to the roadway when going around a sharp turn or curve, causing certain body parts to hit or slide across the roadway and resulting in road rash.

Being hit by another vehicle

When a motorcycle rider is hit by another vehicle, they have a very high chance of being ejected or thrown from their bike. Regardless of how slow the motorcyclist or motor vehicle was traveling, a small strike or tap from behind or to the side can cause the motorcycle rider to fly off the bike and skid across the roadway.

Speeding or disobeying laws

When a motorcyclist is speeding or disobeying laws, they are more likely to increase their risk of an accident that results in road rash. This is because when a motorcycle rider speeds, they have less time to react to certain situations. For example, they may be unable to slow down or stop in time if another vehicle in front of them is slowing down and stopping. As a result, they may end up crashing into the back of that vehicle and being thrown from their bike.

Other drivers failing to see or yield to the motorcyclist

Unfortunately, it is very common for motorists to claim that they cannot see motorcycle riders. Therefore, if a driver does not see a motorcycle rider or fails to yield to the motorcycle rider, the motorcycle rider becomes at risk of being involved in a serious accident, which could result in road rash. This is common at intersections where motorcycles are approaching, and passenger vehicles are in the lane to turn.

Dangerous road conditions

Dangerous road conditions also pose a significant risk to motorcycle riders. Some examples are potholes, uneven surfaces, debris and branches in the roadway, and draining problems. When motorcycle riders travel in dangerous road conditions, they may lose control of their vehicle, experience a tire blowout, lose their balance, or be thrown from their bikes. As a result, they may suffer severe road rash.

How long does road rash take to heal?

UW Health explains that most road rash injuries heal within a couple of weeks. However, it is important to know that two weeks is a general road rash healing timeline. This means that it actually depends on how severe and extensive your road rash injuries are. Keep in mind that all individual injuries are different, and a severe open wound form of road rash will likely have a longer recovery process than a minor case of road rash. Follow your doctor’s advice and check with them if you believe the wounds are not healing properly.

What are the road rash treatment methods?

If you have a minor case of road rash, you may be able to treat your rash at home with water, soap, antibiotic ointment, and bandages. However, if you have a more severe form of this injury, you will likely need in-depth care from a licensed medical provider or specialist. This may involve pain medications, antibiotics to prevent infections, surgeries, skin grafting, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more.

Have you recently suffered road rash in a San Antonio motorcycle crash? If so, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our motorcycle accident lawyer at Pat Maloney: Accident & Injury Attorney as soon as possible. We know that road rash injuries can be extremely expensive, so we recommend that you do not put this off any longer. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule your free consultation in San Antonio today.