Car accidents and industrial incidents can cause a wide range of injuries that include broken bones, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. Although not as common, degloving injuries, marked by the separation of skin, soft tissue, and even blood vessels from muscle or bone, can be just as devastating. Even with emergency surgery and ongoing medical treatment, they can cause long-term disability and permanent scarring.
When a degloving injury occurs, it can change your life, and if someone else caused the accident, you may be entitled to take legal action. In this blog, we’ll explain what degloving injuries are, their common causes, how they’re treated, and how a Georgia personal injury attorney can help you get a settlement that reflects what you’ve suffered.
What Is a Degloving Injury?
Degloving injuries involve the separation of skin and soft tissue from the structures underneath. If not addressed in time, they can disrupt circulation to the affected area and may compromise tissue health. The extent of injury varies depending on the nature of the trauma and how deep or widespread the damage is. While some degloving injuries are immediately visible, others are more subtle and require imaging to diagnose. Common types include:
- Open Degloving Injuries: These injuries are visible at the skin’s surface and typically result from high-impact trauma. The outer layers of skin and tissue separate from the underlying bone or muscle, often exposing deeper structures. Open degloving injuries are sometimes seen in motorcycle crashes or machinery-related incidents and may involve considerable blood loss or nerve damage.
- Closed Degloving Injuries: In these cases, the skin remains intact, but tissue layers underneath become separated, often due to a forceful impact. This creates a space that may fill with fluid, leading to swelling or bruising. Because there’s no open wound, these injuries can be difficult to detect without diagnostic imaging, which is why timely medical evaluation is so important.
- Circumferential Degloving: This term refers to tissue separation that wraps entirely around a limb, such as an arm or leg. Circulation may be affected, increasing the risk of complications if treatment is delayed. In severe cases, there may be concern about tissue survival, especially if blood flow has been severely disrupted.
- Limited Degloving: Smaller in scope, limited degloving injuries may affect a fingertip or a small patch of skin. However, even these cases require close monitoring and medical care. When blood flow is restricted or infection sets in, healing can be delayed, and permanent damage is possible.
Degloving injuries are most often seen on the hands, arms, legs, feet, and scalp. In rare cases, more than one part of the body may be affected. Immediate medical attention is always necessary. Treatment often includes emergency care, wound management, and reconstructive surgery such as skin grafts. Recovery varies depending on the location of the injury, the person’s overall health, and how soon care was provided.
These injuries can have lasting physical and emotional effects. If you or someone you love is facing the aftermath of a degloving injury, know that support is available. From medical specialists to rehabilitation teams and legal advocates, there are professionals ready to help you protect your health and your future.
Common Causes of Degloving Injuries
Degloving injuries usually occur during sudden, high-force incidents involving vehicles, equipment, or falls. While rare, these injuries can have serious physical and emotional consequences. Common causes include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: High-speed crashes, motorcycle collisions, and being ejected or dragged along the road surface can lead to severe soft tissue injuries. These are among the most frequent causes of degloving injuries in Georgia, especially when there’s prolonged contact with pavement or metal surfaces.
- Workplace Accidents: Industrial settings carry a higher risk, particularly for those working near rollers, conveyor belts, or heavy machinery. Clothing, gloves, or limbs can become caught in equipment, leading to traumatic injury. Jobs involving fast-moving mechanical parts or poor safety measures are often involved in these incidents.
- Falls From Height: When someone falls from a ladder, scaffold, or raised platform, the way they land or what they strike on the way down can lead to complex soft tissue trauma. Arms or legs may become caught or twisted, resulting in injuries that require urgent care.
- Crush Injuries: Being pinned between heavy objects or trapped under collapsing material can damage muscle, connective tissue, and blood vessels. These injuries are often reported during construction accidents, warehouse incidents, or equipment malfunctions.
- Pedestrian Accidents: If you're hit and dragged by a vehicle, you may be exposed to severe friction and compression. These incidents tend to be especially serious at higher speeds or on rough road surfaces.
- Animal Attacks: Though rare, animal bites, particularly dog bites to the face, limbs, or hands, can cause complex injuries that affect both skin and deeper tissue. Children and older adults may be at higher risk in these situations.
In each of these examples, the trauma often happens without warning and may leave little time to react. Immediate medical attention is always critical. The sooner doctors can assess and stabilize the injury, the better the chances of protecting tissue, preventing infection, and supporting long-term recovery.
Medical Treatment For Degloving Injuries
If you've suffered a degloving injury, getting immediate medical care is critical. You may need surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing support to deal with the physical and emotional impact. Treatment of degloving injuries includes:
- Emergency Medical Care: In the emergency room, doctors will work to stabilize you, care for the affected area, and evaluate the full extent of the injury. Prompt treatment reduces the risk of infection and improves the chances of preserving as much tissue and function as possible.
- Surgical Intervention: Reconstructive surgery is often required. This may involve skin grafts, tissue flaps, or staged procedures to help restore coverage and circulation. In some cases, additional surgeries are needed if initial grafts or repairs don’t fully heal as expected.
- Amputation: In severe cases where blood flow can’t be restored or there’s extensive tissue damage, doctors may recommend amputation. This option is a last resort and typically done only when other treatments can’t preserve the affected area.
- Ongoing Physical Therapy: After surgery, you'll likely need months of physical therapy to rebuild strength and movement. The goal is to help you regain as much function as possible.
- Pain Management: Persistent discomfort is common, especially when nerves or deeper tissues are affected. Treatment may include medications, targeted exercises, or other therapies to help reduce daily pain and improve quality of life.
Recovery extends far beyond wound care. It also involves adjusting to any physical changes, regaining independence, and managing emotional challenges that often follow traumatic injuries. While every recovery is different, early and consistent care can support the best possible outcome.
Long-Term Consequences for Degloving Injury Victims
A degloving injury can change nearly every part of your life. Even after the physical wounds heal, you may still deal with some or all of the following:
- Reduced Limb Function: You might have trouble lifting, walking, or using your hands like you used to. Joint stiffness, nerve damage, and muscle loss can make basic tasks harder.
- Chronic Pain and Sensitivity: Even after surgery, nerve pain or skin sensitivity can disrupt your routine. You may need a combination of treatments to make it more manageable.
- Disfigurement and Scarring: These injuries leave visible scars that can affect how you feel about your appearance. Even with surgery, full restoration of the damaged skin is unlikely, a reality that many accident victims find hard to deal with.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you recover financial compensation for all of these damages once the liable party has been established.
Who May Be Liable for a Degloving Injury?
Depending on the circumstances, any of the following parties could be responsible for your injuries:
- Negligent Drivers: A driver who speeds, texts, or ignores traffic laws can cause the kind of crash that leads to degloving injuries. If you were ejected or dragged after a driver crashed into you, you may be able to file a legal claim against them.
- Employers: If you weren’t given the right training or safety equipment, your employer may be responsible. Dangerous work conditions can turn routine tasks into life-altering events.
- Defective Equipment Manufacturers: If faulty tools or machines played a role, the company that made them might share liability. Products that malfunction during regular use can cause life-threatening injuries.
- Negligent Property Owners: Poor lighting, broken stairs, or unmarked hazards can all cause accidents. If you suffered a degloving injury because a property wasn’t properly maintained, the owner could be liable.
Damages Available in a Personal Injury Claim
Degloving injuries can affect your income, your family, and your daily life. Fortunately, a personal injury claim can help you recover some of what you’ve lost and give you the means to move forward.
- Medical Bills: You can seek compensation for surgeries, rehab, medications, and any medical equipment you’ve had to purchase. These costs add up quickly, especially if your care is ongoing.
- Lost Income: If your injury keeps you from working, you may be able to recover what you’ve lost. That includes both past wages and what you might lose in the future.
- Pain and Suffering: Georgia law recognizes the physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress that come with an injury like this. These damages account for how your life has been affected day to day.
- Scarring and Disfigurement: If your appearance has changed permanently, that impact can be part of your claim. These damages acknowledge how changes to your body affect your self-perception as well as your daily interactions.
- Home and Vehicle Modifications: If you’ve had to install ramps, lifts, or adaptive equipment in your home and/or vehicle, those expenses can be included in your claim.
- In-Home Assistance: You may need help with dressing, cooking, or cleaning, especially if you suffered extensive injuries to your hands. The expense can also be factored into your claim.
Every claim is different, so there is no reliable average settlement for degloving injuries. An experienced attorney can help you figure out what you may be entitled to based on the extent of your injuries and how they’ve affected your life, as well as your future.
Speak to a Degloving Injury Lawyer Today
Degloving injuries are one of the most traumatic experiences you can endure. The path to healing is rarely straightforward, and the damage can change how you earn a living, maintain relationships, and carry out once-simple routines.
If you or a loved one has suffered this type of injury, let The Champion Firm help you recover the costs of medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Our track record includes a $1.4 million settlement for a client who suffered a degloving laceration after being struck by a motor vehicle, among other case results. We’ll explain your rights, help you explore your legal options, and fight for maximum compensation. For more information or to schedule a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, call 404-738-7509.
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