In an accident, strong forces can pull on your body, which can cause a serious injury called a degloving injury.
It usually happens when the skin and some tissue come off, especially around the hands and arms.
It’s called “degloving” because it’s like taking off a glove—the skin is pulled away like a covering.
The injury is very painful because it exposes nerves and other sensitive areas, which can make you feel a lot of pain and even make you faint.
In fact, degloving face and hand injuries are very painful. They can also be dangerous if an infection happens in the exposed area.
A degloving injury, also called an avulsion, is a serious injury where the top layers of skin and tissue are pulled away from the muscle, connective tissue, or bone underneath.
It’s similar to taking off a glove, which is where the name comes from.
These injuries can be life-threatening because they can cause a lot of blood loss and increase the risk of infection, so they need immediate medical help.
Degloving injuries often occur in risky jobs, such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, transportation, forestry, and emergency services.
These jobs involve heavy machinery and dangerous environments.
When your body rubs against a rough surface, you can get an abrasion. This happens when the rough surface scrapes off some of your skin.
A degloving injury is like an abrasion, but it’s much more serious. In a degloving injury, the skin and the flesh underneath are pulled away from your body.
There are two types of degloving injuries:
An open degloving injury occurs when a rough or sharp object scrapes the skin and flesh of your body, creating a large open wound. The skin may remain linked as a loose flap or come off completely.
These injuries can happen in various accidents.
For example, in a pedestrian accident, a degloving injury can occur when a person is hit by a vehicle or when they hit the ground afterward.
A degloving injury can happen in motorcycle accidents if the rider falls and slides along the pavement. These injuries can be very serious because motorcycles can go fast, and the weight of the bike can cause significant damage.
Degloving injuries can also happen in bicycle accidents. If a cyclist is struck, they might hit the handlebars, which can scrape the skin off the abdomen, hip, or leg.
A closed degloving injury occurs when friction pulls the flesh away from the body without breaking the skin. It can be thought of as a gap or bubble that forms under the soft tissues when they are pulled apart.
These injuries can be hard to spot because they don’t show many visible signs. Often, any internal bleeding from a closed degloving injury may look like a bruise.
Closed degloving injuries can occur in accidents where friction causes the soft tissues to separate.
For example, if you slip and fall and then slide on the ground, it can result in closed degloving injuries on your hip.
Degloving injuries can occur in various ways, such as:
Degloving accidents result from a combination of compression, shearing, and tearing forces that cause the skin and soft tissue to separate from the underlying structures.
Degloving accidents are invariably serious and result in severe damage to affected tissues, often including open fractures, ruptured blood vessels, nerve damage, and other associated injuries.
Treating degloving injuries may require extensive surgical intervention, including reconstructive surgery, skin grafts, and other procedures. Degloving trauma may also involve rehabilitation and long-term medical care.
A degloving injury can occur anywhere on the body but is most common on the arms and legs. This injury happens when the skin is pulled away from the body, sometimes completely exposing the muscles and bones underneath.
Symptoms often include significant pain and swelling in the affected area.
Doctors typically diagnose degloving injuries by examining the injury and understanding how it occurred.
They assess the injury’s severity and check for any broken bones or blood vessel issues, which might need urgent surgery.
Doctors look for skin condition indicators, such as color changes, reduced sensation, and temperature differences.
The area might also be tender and swollen. Additional tests, like ultrasounds or CT scans, may be done to better understand the injury.
In Florida, the statute of limitations for filing a claim for a degloving injury, or any other personal injury claim, is generally four years from the date of the injury. Failing to file within this time will nullify your chance for pursuing compensation.
We understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll that accidents can have on your life, and we are committed to providing personalized legal representation tailored to your unique situation. With our expertise in accident law, we will fight tirelessly to hold the responsible parties accountable and seek justice on your behalf.
If you or a loved one suffered life-threatening degloving trauma and have sustained injuries through the negligence of another, schedule a free case consultation by calling 239-549-6689.
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