Motorcycle Accidents Lead to Severe Road Rash in Tennessee

By Thomas Greer | December 25, 2013

When the average person considers the impact of injuries from bike accidents, he might think about tragic accidents like the one that claimed the life of a biker in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the end of October, when a motorcycle and a vehicle collided at an intersection.  These violent collisions lead to broken bones, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injuries, as well as death, because of the lack of safety features on a motorcycle.  However, the far more common road rash or road burn injuries from which many riders have suffered can have serious long-term health and quality of life impact.

Although many bikers will tease a more novice rider about having to lay his bike down and suffering road rash as a consequence, the fact is that if you ask a biker about having road rash, he or she will talk about the intense pain and, likely, the infection.  Road rash is nothing to joke about when you have traveled across the asphalt at a high rate of speed with nothing but your leathers to protect you.  When your protective gear has been torn away and flesh meets pavement, along with dirt, gravel, broken glass, and other debris, the resulting road burn injury often requires emergency medical care and extensive treatment.

There are different types of road rash harm that may result from a crash, including:

  • Scrapes and abrasions – These injuries are contact injuries caused by the friction between the moving body and the road.  Often, stitches are required to closed open wounds.  These injuries are the result of direct contact with the pavement and all of its contaminants, so infection is a serious risk with this type of injury.
  • Avulsion injuries – These injuries are severe abrasions where the skin has been scraped away and the layers of muscle and fat may be exposed.  Often, this type of wound requires skin grafts to repair the damage and the person who suffered the harm frequently is left with significant scarring.
  • Compression injuries – This type of injury is caused by a crushing type of impact, often caused when a biker’s arm or leg gets caught between the bike and the pavement or is caught between two other heavy or immoveable objects.

In addition to permanent scarring, road rash injuries may require additional surgeries and lead to a host of associated medical complications, including pervasive infections.  A biker who has suffered through severe road rash often experiences pain and suffering many years after the accident.  The fact is that when a motorcycle crashes because of the negligence of another driver, the harm experienced usually is serious.

Motorcycle crashes that result in road rash injuries and other types of harm involve many different expenses, including emergency medical care, long-term medical treatment, additional associated surgeries, lost wages, and reasonably anticipated future earnings.  The paperwork to get the necessary care is extensive and often confusing.  If you have been harmed in a motorcycle accident, it is crucial for you to have experienced motorcycle accident attorneys on your side to help you through the process.  The Memphis motorcycle accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are prepared to offer that assistance.  We know how to build a case to demonstrate the severity of the injury that you suffered.  Our experts will explain the financial devastation that resulted from this accident and its aftermath as well as the medical nightmare that you experienced.  To schedule a time when we can sit and discuss your accident during a free and confidential consultation, call us at 901-680-9777.

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