Stephen Schultz | February 15, 2025 | Personal Injury
Few people make it to adulthood without knowing the pain of road rash. What is road rash, though? It is the result of unprotected skin sliding across a rough surface, such as a sidewalk, a tarred playground, or, as the name implies, a road.
Indeed, the common “skinned knee” that almost every child experiences falls under the same type of abrasion that motorcycle riders and bicyclists call road rash.
How Does Road Rash Happen?
Road rash injuries can be caused by accidents involving any kind of vehicle, such as a motorcycle or electric scooter. Any incident that causes someone to scrape bare skin across a hard surface can result in road rash. If a part of the body comes in contact with the ground and scrapes along the rough surface, the top layer of skin can get peeled away.
It is also important to recognize that road rash injuries occur more frequently in spring and summer, given that the seasons see more people outside and wearing lighter clothing.
The Degrees of Road Rash
Abrasions inflicted by road rash can range from benign to severe. Most cases, thankfully, are mild and can be treated at home like any other type of scrape or cut. However, severe road rash may require medical care.
Like burns, road rash injuries can be classified into one of the following three degrees of severity:
First-Degree
First-degree abrasions are superficial, involving only the first layer of the skin, known as the epidermis. These wounds usually don’t bleed and are often considered scrapes.
Second-Degree
Second-degree road rash abrasions involve the epidermis and the dermis, the second layer of skin. These wounds often bleed and may require medical care.
Third-Degree
A third-degree abrasion, also known as an avulsion wound, is the most serious kind of road rash. You might expect a motorcycle accident victim to suffer from such an injury. Third-degree abrasions bleed heavily and require the care of a medical professional.
The Symptoms of a Road Rash Infection
Skin that’s been abraded will be inflamed and appear red and raw. Some bleeding is normal, and the injured person will likely feel pain right away, especially on the skin around the edges of the rash.
In some cases, a road rash injury leaves what is known as a “traumatic tattoo.” Debris that was not completely washed from the wound can remain in the skin and cause discoloration or “tattooing” that remains after the rash has healed.
Again, most common abrasion injuries don’t need medical care.
However, if you believe the wound goes deeper than the first layer of skin or if you see any signs of infection, such as the following, see a healthcare provider as soon as possible:
- Inflammation gets worse instead of improving
- The wound feels warm
- Redness increases
- Pus or foul-smelling fluid appears
- You experience flu-like symptoms, including a fever, body aches, and chills
Though rare, infection in a road rash wound could cause a bloodstream infection. This could lead to sepsis, a serious whole-body reaction to infection that may cause a life-threatening condition known as septic shock.
Treating a Road Rash Injury At Home
First-degree (and many second-degree) abrasions can be successfully treated at home. Follow these steps:
- Wash your hands
- Gently clean the area with cool water and mild soap
- Remove any debris or particles with sterilized tweezers
- If bleeding, elevate and apply gentle pressure to the area with a sterile cloth until the bleeding stops
- Apply a thin layer of topical antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean bandage
- Clean and rebandage the wound once per day
If you see any signs of infection, call your doctor.
Always Take Road Rash Injuries Seriously
Road rash can be painful even if it doesn’t look severe. For mild abrasions, clean the wound carefully and always watch for signs of infection. Seek emergency care for road rash that meets the description of a third-degree abrasion.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in St. Louis, MO
If you’ve been injured, please contact the attorneys at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation, we proudly serve all throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County and Boone County and we have offices in St. Louis, Ladue, Columbia, Creve Coeur.
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Louis Office
1430 Washington Ave Ste 225
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 444-4444
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Ladue Office
9807 S 40 Dr
St. Louis, MO 63124
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Columbia Office
28 N 8th St # 502
Columbia, MO 65201
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Creve Coeur Office
999 Executive Pkwy Dr #205
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
