One of the most painful and catastrophic injuries you can suffer is called a degloving injury. It often results from high-impact car accidents, motorcycle crashes, workplace accidents involving heavy machinery, and other traumatic events.
If you have sustained this type of wound, you may be dealing with serious medical bills and the inability to work as you normally would. If your degloving injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your losses. Learn more about these injuries and what your legal options could be.
What Is a Degloving Injury?
The term “degloving” paints a good picture of what the injury involves. This wound occurs when a large section of your skin and the fat beneath it are torn completely away from the underlying structures of muscles, tendons, or bones.
There are two main types of degloving injuries. The most common is an open degloving, resulting in the skin tearing open and exposing bones, tendons, and muscles.
A closed degloving injury, also called a Morel-Lavallée Lesion, occurs when the skin separates from the underlying structures but remains unbroken. This creates a pocket underneath that begins to fill with blood and lymphatic fluid.
A degloving injury is not only painful, but it can also lead to infections and necrosis. The separated skin can lose access to the blood and oxygen it needs, leading it to die. With open degloving injuries, there is also the risk of infection.
Treating a Degloving Injury
Degloving injuries are medical emergencies. Blood loss alone can put you at risk of suffering from shock, so you need to be stabilized by medical professionals before the injury can be addressed.
Once you have been stabilized, doctors may recommend revascularization, which involves surgically reattaching blood vessels to the skin. This restores circulation. It may be necessary to use skin grafts from other parts of the body to cover the injured area.
In some cases, amputation may be necessary to prevent serious complications and protect the patient’s overall health.
Why Prompt Medical Treatment Is So Important
A degloving injury should always be treated as a medical emergency. Even if the wound does not appear severe at first, extensive damage may exist beneath the skin. Delaying treatment can increase the risk of infection, tissue death, permanent nerve damage, and other serious complications. In some cases, prompt surgical intervention may improve the chances of preserving the affected tissue and restoring function.
Seeking immediate medical care can also help document the extent of your injuries. Medical records created shortly after an accident often play an important role in personal injury claims by connecting your injuries to the incident and demonstrating the treatment you required.
Early diagnosis and treatment may improve both your recovery and your ability to pursue compensation if someone else’s negligence caused your injuries.
What Causes Degloving Injuries?
Degloving injuries usually occur when a powerful force pulls or crushes part of the body. Because these injuries involve significant trauma, they are often associated with catastrophic accidents.
Common causes include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Workplace accidents involving machinery
- Construction accidents
- Crush injuries
Even when the injury is not immediately visible, it is important to seek emergency medical care because severe tissue damage and internal bleeding may already be occurring.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of a Degloving Injury?
Recovery from a degloving injury can take months or even years. Many patients require multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and ongoing medical treatment to restore function and reduce complications.
Depending on the severity of the injury, long-term effects may include:
- Permanent scarring
- Limited mobility
- Nerve damage
- Chronic pain
- Loss of sensation
- Infection
- Permanent disability
Because these injuries often affect a person’s ability to work and perform everyday activities, they can create significant financial and emotional challenges.
Can I Recover Compensation for a Degloving Injury?
If another person’s negligence caused your accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
Depending on your case, compensation may include:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Rehabilitation costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability
The amount available depends on the severity of your injuries, the available insurance coverage, and the specific circumstances surrounding the accident.
Contact the Stuart Personal Injury Attorneys at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers for Help Today
A degloving injury can have life-changing physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Because these injuries often require emergency treatment, multiple surgeries, and extensive rehabilitation, it is important to understand your legal rights if someone else’s negligence caused your accident.
At Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we help seriously injured victims pursue compensation for the losses they have suffered. Our attorneys have more than 80 years of combined experience and have recovered over $500 million for injured clients throughout Florida.
If you have suffered a degloving injury in an accident, contact our Stuart personal injury lawyers today at (772) 444-7000 to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help.
