Yes, you can sue for road rash damages after a motorcycle accident if someone else caused your accident injuries. Road rash is more than a “minor inconvenience;” It can lead to scarring & disfigurement, nerve damage, and other severe medical issues. These conditions are expensive to treat and manage, which means that you may want to speak with a New Mexico personal injury lawyer to learn about your legal options if negligence played a role in your accident.
In This Post
In this blog post, I will help you understand the answers to the following questions:
- What Complications Are Associated With Road Rash Injuries?
- How Much Does It Cost to Treat Road Rash?
- Can I Get Compensated for Road Rash?
- Do I Need to Hire a New Mexico Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
If you need specific legal advice, speak with a motorcycle accident attorney directly.
What Complications Are Associated With Road Rash Injuries?
Road rash injuries are severe friction burns that occur when the epidermis, or skin, rubs against a rough surface, such as a gravel road. If a car hits you while riding your motorcycle, the collision can throw you and possibly cause you to drag along paved streets and sidewalks. Although protective gear will help you stave off some of the damage, it cannot protect you completely, particularly when the accident is severe.
Common complications associated with road rash include the following:
- Nerve damage
- Torn muscles
- Tendon injuries
- Scarring & disfigurement
- Sepsis and other infections
- Pitted edema
- Other complications
These complications can cause the injury victim to incur additional medical expenses beyond gauze dressings and bandages, a standard treatment for mild road rash. Even still, an emergency room visit, treatment, and medical care can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills and time missed at work.
How Much Can I Get If I Sue for Road Rash?
For you to receive a fair settlement, you have to visit a doctor as soon as possible. Even for seemingly mild road rash, the cost of treating this injury is high. You must also follow through on your medical care plan to not jeopardize your long-term health and insurance claim.
If you sue for road rash injuries caused by negligence, you can sue for the following damages:
- Type 1. Current and future medical bills
- Type 2. Current and future lost earnings and wages
- Type 3. Physical pain and suffering and mental anguish
- Type 4. Wrongful death and loss of consortium damages
- Type 5. Punitive damages for gross acts of negligence
- Type 6. Lost enjoyment of life
- Type 7. Your motorcycle’s damage
- Type 8. Scarring and disfigurement
While New Mexico’s civil laws allow you to file a compensation claim, it also gives the insurance company the right to investigate your accident. If they can find any shred of evidence that you contributed to the accident, they can use this information to offer you less money. Hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer in New Mexico will help you protect your case while mounting a strategy that aims to meet your legal objectives.
Related Article: How Long Do Motorcycle Accident Injury Claims Take?
Do I Need to Hire a New Mexico Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
In New Mexico, you have up to three (3) years from the date of your accident to file a motorcycle accident injury claim. Although this may seem like a significant timeframe, it is more challenging to negotiate a fair civil award. Rather than waiting, do not make any self-incriminating statements and run your case by a motorcycle accident lawyer just to get an initial opinion.
While you are reading this blog post after the fact, you may find another article I wrote to be helpful, “Steps to Take When You Are Involved in a Motorcycle Accident.”
Here are a few other compelling reasons that you should contact an attorney early on in your case:
- Personal and eyewitness testimonies stay fresh
- Physical evidence will have less time to degrade
- No costs to get an initial opinion on your case
- Contingency fees mean you do not pay attorneys’ fees until you win
- Avoid making common legal mistakes that jeopardize the outcome
Insurance companies are well aware of the time limitations that apply to personal injury matters, such as road rash after a motorcycle accident. Some cases have much shorter deadlines if notification requirements and specific parties are involved. If hiring an attorney is the right solution for your case, we will let you know how we can help so that you can decide for yourself.
Call for a Free Case Evaluation
If you or a family member suffered from road rash injuries after a motorcycle accident, you have the right to compensation for the losses that the negligent party caused you. Contact a New Mexico motorcycle accident injury lawyer at Grano Law Offices, P.C. for a Free Case Evaluation at (505) 426-8711 or send Marc Grano a direct message below.
