Riding a Motorcycle? Wear a Helmet!

I’m from Michigan where helmets are required gear for all motorcycle riders and passengers. While in Florida, attending the Injury Board’s Radius of Influence 2010 convention, I noticed that many Florida bikers do not wear head gear. I presume that the Florida heat might have something to do with this, but it was odd to see helmet-less riders. I feared for their safety as I traveled down I-4 between Tampa and Orlando.

Generally speaking, those who have been involved in a motorcycle accident while wearing a helmet suffer far less head injuries and/or are less seriously hurt than those not wearing protective head gear. Head injuries are the mostly common and most deadly in motorcycle accidents. DOT safety inspected and approved helmets “do” saves lives.

In fact, their recent study show that those with head gear and their passengers (also with helmets) have a much lower risk of sustaining head and neck injuries. If there is anything that will lower the risks involved in a motorcycle accident, this would be one of the smartest things to do at all times. Strangely enough, many people won’t wear them because they make them look silly or they think a helmet impairs vision.

19 states plus the District of Columbia have laws in place that mandate bikers to wear a helmet. In mandated jurisdictions, compliance is close to 100%. In other states, it is approximately 50%, despite evidence that those wearing helmets and involved in an accident are 30% less likely to receive fatal injuries than those who are helmet-less. Aside from helmet use, the other most frequent debilitating injuries that result from motorcycle accidents are broken and crushed bones, amputations, road rash and spinal and back injuries.

Surviving family members of a deceased motorcyclist or a surviving, seriously injured, motorcyclist involved an accident that was not their fault should consult a personal injury lawyer to determine whether litigation is appropriate under the circumstances of the accident. Potential litigants should also be aware that companies like Lawsuit Financial provide lawsuit funding services to litigants involved in pending personal injury cases. Since seriously injured bikers are often permanently disabled or disabled for long periods, lawsuit funding helps bridge the financial gap between the disabling incident and the resolution of the litigation. Since disabling injuries will often cause financial distress, lawsuit funding may be just what a litigant needs to avoid having to settle a case too early for too little compensation.