Every year, thousands of bikers are injured in motorcycle accidents. While some riders suffer broken bones, head trauma, and spinal cord injuries, one of the main types of injuries motorcyclists suffer is road rash. Also know as road burn, road rash injuries occur when a rider’s skin comes in contact with the ground during a motorcycle crash.

Did you know that not all road rash injuries are the same? Some types of road rash can tear away the skin all the way down to the bone, exposing muscle and tissue. 

Degrees of Road Rash

Just like burn injuries, road rash injuries are classified as first, second, and third-degree injuries.

  1. With a first degree road burn, the skin will appear red; however, there will not be any breaks in the skin. Typically, this type of injury won’t cause any permanent scarring and will heal on its own.
  2. In a second degree road burn, a rider will have noticeable breaks in his or her skin. However, the underlying layers of skin are still intact. Riders with any break in the skin should seek medical care to make sure the wound is properly cleaned.
  3. With a third degree road burn, a motorcyclist will be able to see all the way down to the tissue, fat, and bone. This is the most dangerous type of road rash injury as all of the layers of skin are pretty much gone. Riders with this type of injury need to seek medical treatment to prevent getting a staph infection.

Most motorcyclists know about road rash; however, not everyone knows about the different degrees of road rash injuries. Please share this information on Facebook so those you know who ride can better protect themselves in the event of a motorcycle crash on Bee Ridge Road or any roadway around the Sarasota area.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney
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