From lacerations caused by flying debris to road rash sustained by cyclists, skin damage is a common crash injury. Some types of damage to the skin are more serious than others.
Degloving injuries, which involve the separation of the skin from the tissue underneath, are especially dangerous. Understanding the two different types of degloving injuries can be helpful for those seeking medical care and looking for sources of compensation when a car crash causes major injuries.
What are the two main categories of degloving injuries?
Closed degloving injuries
Sometimes, people overlook the initial warning signs of degloving injuries on their limbs or extremities because there are no visible symptoms initially. It may be days later when the tissue becomes inflamed or discolored due to internal bleeding that they realize something is wrong. Closed degloving injuries can lead to delayed medical intervention and can produce a host of concerning medical complications, from compartment syndrome to permanent nerve damage.
Open degloving injuries
People typically do not overlook open degloving injuries. The skin tears, possibly leaving a significant section of the tissue underneath exposed. Between the pain and the blood loss that occurs, most people recognize that they need immediate care when they sustain an open degloving injury.
Like a closed injury, open degloving injuries can cause nerve damage, compartment syndrome and functional limitations. People may also be at risk of serious infections and complications due to blood loss. The injury is also more likely to cause some substantial scarring.
Pursuing the best possible medical care and enough compensation to pay for that treatment is important for those with serious car crash injuries. Degloving injuries are among the worst skin-related injuries that people may sustain in a motor vehicle collision. As such, victims must generally seek both medical and legal assistance in the wake of the harm they’ve sustained.