Motorcycle Accident Burns and Road Rash Injury Lawyers in Los Angeles, CA
Suffering an exhaust burn injury, road rash, or other serious road burn from a motorcycle accident can be a debilitating and traumatic experience. In the blink of an eye, your entire world could be turned upside down because you were hit by a careless or reckless motorist. In the wake of the collision, you could be left damaged physically, financially, and emotionally.
If you or a loved one was seriously harmed in a motorcycle accident, take action by contacting an experienced and respected Los Angeles motorcycle accident burns injury attorney. Retaining the services of a motorcycle accident burns injury lawyer will allow you to possibly pursue financial restitution for your harms and losses.
Burn Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents
An unfortunate, and fairly common, type of injury suffered in a dangerous road motorcycle accident or motorcycle explosion accident is a serious burn. For example, thermal burn injuries are extremely common for motorcyclists who were involved in serious collisions on roads and highways in Los Angeles, CA.
A thermal burn injury is quite common because the skin of a motorcyclist may be exposed to chemicals or metal bike parts that became extremely hot as a result of the collision or if a fire was started due to the impact of the crash.
Motorcycle accident road burn injuries have different levels of severity depending on the extent of the damage to your skin. The severity of dangerous road motorcycle accident burn injuries is categorized by degree levels.
Let’s take a look at each:
- First-degree burn injury – generally damages the outermost layer of a motorcyclist’s skin. A first-degree burn typically causes redness and swelling but will heal in a matter of weeks with proper medical care.
- Second-degree burn injury – this type of burn injury will often damage the underlying layers of a motorcyclist’s skin. A second-degree burn from a hit and run motorcycle accident or motorcycle explosion accident often results in intense pain, blistering, swelling, and so forth. It will take longer for this type of burn injury to heal.
- Third-degree burn injury – this type of burn injury typically damages and destroys all layers of skin on a motorcyclist who is hit by another motorist. The damage is so severe that a motorcyclist’s nerve endings are often destroyed.
- Fourth-degree burn injury – this is considered to be one of the most severe types of motorcycle accident burn injuries and is generally considered to be life-threatening.
Road Rash Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents
In addition, to burn injuries, it is quite common for someone involved in a dangerous road motorcycle accident or hit and run motorcycle accident to suffer a “road rash” injury. The term “road rash” is typically used to describe an injury where a motorcyclist’s skin comes in contact with the road.
Different Degrees Of Road Rash Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Similar to motorcycle accident burn injuries, there are different types of road rash injuries based primarily on the extent of the damage from the hit and run motorcycle accident or dangerous road motorcycle accident.
Let’s take a look at each type of road rash injury:
- First-degree road rash injury – this type of road rash is typically an abrasion on the outer layer of a motorcyclist’s skin. This is the least serious type of road rash injury and generally heals within a few weeks, with proper medical care.
- Second-degree road rash injury – this type of motorcycle road rash is an abrasion bordering on an avulsion. That means a layer of the motorcyclist’s skin is badly damaged and bleeding, but the skin is not torn away. As a result, a second-degree road rash injury will typically heal in a matter of weeks or months, with proper treatment. Any scarring will be minimal.
- Third-degree road rash injury – when a road rash injury reached the third-degree level, it is considered to be an avulsion where a layer of the motorcyclist’s skin is effectively gone leaving an exposed layer of muscle, fat or even bone. It is widely considered to be the worst type of road rash injury and takes a significant amount of time to heal and extensive medical treatment (including skin grafts). A motorcyclist who suffers a third-degree road rash injury is often left with a permanent scar or disfigurement.
Difference Between Burn and Road Rash
A question that often arises is whether there is a difference between a dangerous road motorcycle accident road rash and a motorcycle accident exhaust burn or another type of burn.
The answer is that there is not really much of a difference between these types of injuries. In fact, the term “road rash” is used as a way to describe a type of motorcycle accident burn injury where the skin has been scraped across the asphalt on a Los Angeles road or highway.
No matter the type of road rash or burn injury you suffered, if the accident was caused by the careless or reckless actions of another motorist, contact a reputable and skilled Los Angeles motorcycle accident road rash injury lawyer to discuss your legal options.
Can I Recover Compensation For My Road Rash or Burn Injuries From a Motorcycle Accident?
In most instances, the answer to this question is yes. However, each case is unique and your ability to pursue financial restitution for your harms and losses depends on the facts of your particular case. The best way to assess your legal options is to contact an experienced Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer.
Generally, when an individual is badly injured in a motorcycle accident in or around Los Angeles and suffers a road rash or burn injury, they have grounds to pursue financial restitution through a personal injury claim. There are different types of compensatory damages they may be entitled to pursue under California law.
Recoverable damages typically include the following:
- Immediate medical expenses – All medical bills for treatment related to injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident, whether it be a motorcycle drunk driving injury, hit and run motorcycle accident, or dangerous road motorcycle accident. Recoverable medical expenses include the ambulance bill, EMT bills, physical therapy, surgical costs, etc.
- Future medical expenses – These medical expenses include the cost of future rehabilitation visits, skin grafts, and so forth.
- Pain, suffering, and diminution in your quality of life.
- Lost Income – Any income, both immediate and future, you lost from being out of work due to the motorcycle accident.
- Property damage – You can seek compensation for the damage done to your motorbike, your riding gear, your helmet, etc. To get a proper assessment of the types of damages you can recover through an injury claim, contact an experienced motorcycle accident road rash injury attorney.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
According to Section 335.1 of the California Code of Civil Procedure, you typically have two years from the date of the motorcycle accident to file a road rash motorcycle accident injury lawsuit in court.
To ensure you still have a viable claim that falls within the applicable statute of limitations, contact a seasoned motorcycle accident burns injury attorney in Los Angeles.
Contact Motorcycle Accident Road Rash and Burns Injury Attorneys
If you or a family member was hit and seriously injured while operating a motorcycle, now is the time for action. One of the best actions you can take is contacting a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer to assess your legal options.
When you contact an experienced and reputable Los Angeles motorcycle accident road rash injury attorney, they will likely offer you the chance to speak with them at no cost during a free, confidential case review.
During the case review, you will get to meet with a motorcycle accident road rash injury lawyer, explain what happened, and get a detailed assessment of whether it makes sense to move forward with an injury claim. Contact our attorney today to schedule you free case review.