When you’re riding your motorcycle, you want to focus on how open and free you feel with the wind whipping around you. You probably try not to think about the negative things that could happen, like getting into a collision. Even though you want to focus on the positives and have a good time, it’s important to consider what could happen if things go wrong.
One of the things you should be aware of as a result of a motorcycle wreck is road rash. This occurs when you fall off your motorbike and your skin is exposed to the road. Let’s take a closer look at road rash so that you can be fully informed about what can happen if you fall off your motorcycle and one of the injuries that can cause.
What Is Road Rash?
For the most part, road rash is a mild injury that happens when your bare skin rubs against a hard and rough surface, like the pavement. This forms abrasions, or cuts, in your skin. Most of the time, it’s a surface level injury that just affects the skin, but sometimes it can be more severe. If the pressure was hard or the cut goes too deep, it could affect muscle and even bone.
While mild road rash can be treated without a visit to the hospital, severe cases need medical attention immediately. Even if you think it’s a mild case, you should still see a doctor because there is a risk of infection that is specifically linked to road rash. Since you’re sliding along the ground, there is potential for debris to get into your wound.
Dirt, pebbles, glass, and other objects can get into your open skin and cause an infection. This can make your mild case of road rash much more severe, or it could make your severe case even more threatening. Even if you don’t find debris in your wound, if you don’t get it treated and take the treatment seriously, you could get an infection and make it worse.
Another aspect of road rash that can be challenging is how much area of your skin is affected. Depending on how you fell off your bike, you could have large patches of skin that get scraped by the asphalt, leading to large wounds on your body. Road rash is painful, which can make it hard for you to do anything while you’re healing. Or it could lead to you needing a skin graft to repair what was damaged.
The most important thing to know about road rash is that it’s preventable. Let’s take a look at ways you can avoid road rash when you’re riding on your motorbike.
How Can You Prevent Road Rash?
Road rash is a painful and sometimes serious injury that motorcyclists suffer from after a wreck where they hit the ground or another rough surface. What’s good to know is that you can take measures to prevent getting this injury. While you can’t always prevent a motorcycle wreck, you can take steps to ensure that you are as safe as possible in the event of an accident.
Here are the key clothes that you need to wear whenever you ride a motorcycle, even when the weather is warm:
- Helmet
- Jacket
- Full-length pants
- Gloves
- Boots
In warmer weather, you might be less inclined to wear a jacket or full-length pants. And while this might seem okay because you’re an experienced rider or you don’t want to get too warm, you can never know when someone might crash into you or you lose control of your bike and fall to the ground. Wearing the proper equipment is the most effective preventative measure for riding.
On top of wearing the right clothing, driving carefully and paying attention are other ways that you can prevent getting road rash. When you don’t speed, you drive predictably, and you pay attention to the road and other drivers at all times, you can better prevent getting into a collision. Of course, not every crash is preventable, but defensive driving and being aware can keep you out of many accidents.
Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You
When you’ve been in a crash that wasn’t your fault, and you suffered from injuries like road rash and other damages, you shouldn’t have to worry about paying for the bills you incur as a result. That’s where filing a legal claim against the negligent party can help you recover what you’re owed for your damages.
At DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC, our motorcycle accident lawyer in Charleston is prepared to fight for your rights so you get the compensation you deserve. Reach out to our firm today so we can get started discussing your legal options.
