Road Rash is a superficial friction wound which occurs when friction occurs between one’s skin and the road. Though extremely common, the wound can be incredibly painful. Most of the time people obtain road rashes in the form of abrasions, scrapes, raspberries or strawberries while riding bikes, exercising or playing sports. Do you need to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer for a road rash? Generally, the road rash wound doesn’t need much medication and heals at home, however, sometimes the rash can scrape through multiple layers of the skin and may require extensive medical care or surgery to recover completely. Hence, it is advised to take road rash treatment very seriously.
What’s a Road Rash?
The abrasion caused by friction most frequently occurs during summer & spring. It can occur in any part of the body such as hands, forearms, elbows, knees or any other bony part of the body.
Causes
During the summer and spring months, people are more active outdoors, they also wear less clothing that minimizes skin protection. People can get road rash injuries while engaging in physical activities such as skateboarding, bicycling, running, riding a two-wheeler etc.
Symptoms
In most cases of road rash, people experience surface-level friction burns. However, in extreme cases, pieces of debris, dirt, glass and metal may get trapped inside the skin making it appear like a traumatic tattoo. If the blue-black color of the rash still persists after weeks, it’s important that you seek medical help. If your injury is due to someone else’s negligence then you should see a personal injury lawyer as well.
In case of infection in the road rash wound, you shall notice
- Fever
- Swelling or discoloration around the injury
- Pus draining out from the Injury
- Area around the wound getting warmer
- Wound taking more than two weeks to heal
Treatment of Road Rash After Injury
It’s not that difficult to treat a road rash. If it’s not a serious one then just follow these 5 steps and your wound be clean, protected and ready to heal.
Before you start treating your own road rash wound or a loved one’s, ensure that your hands are clean and free of any bacteria.
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Clean & Wash the Injury
Use warm water and an antibacterial soup to get rid of any foreign particles over the rash. Do not scrub too hard as you might damage the skin further.
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Get Rid of Debris
The water should get rid of most dirt and debris, but in case there are any more visible pieces then use a pair of tweezers to lift off the foreign particles carefully.
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Apply Ointment
Antibiotic ointment will help kill the bacteria and fight off any infection that may prevent the wound from healing.
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Cover up the wound
A sterile bandage will help keep the ointment in place and also prevents the wound from drying out.
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Check for Infections
Check the road rash wound closely. An increase in pain or bleeding or some kind of discharge is an indication of an infection in the wound. In such a situation see medical care immediately.
Road Rash Injuries can be tremendously uncomfortable and aching. If your road rash injury was caused due to a road accident then it’s best advised to get legal help from a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer like Siler & Ingber best knows how to get you the compensation that you rightfully deserve. The team at Siler & Ingber carefully study your case to help you understand your rights post a collision.
Get in touch today for a free evaluation of your case.