Throughout the years, several studies have been able to prove that by wearing a helmet while operating a motorcycle can greatly reduce your chance for injury. A study showed that by wearing a helmet on a motorcycle, individuals reduce their risk for a head injury by 69 percent and death by 42 percent. Additional reports show that motorcycle fatalities have over doubled since the 1990s to nearly 4,550 fatalities in 2011.
The motorcycle helmet was developed in the 1930’s by a neurosurgeon that was performing a study on military dispatch riders. He concluded that most military dispatch riders lost their lives due to severe head injuries sustained from the fall. Ultimately, this led to the use of crash helmets in the military and beyond.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident , the victim may be entitled to receive compensation for their losses and damages including; medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, and lost wages.
For additional information, simply complete the “Free Case Review” form on this page – It’s 100% FREE!
Types of Motorcycle Helmets
There are several different forms of motorcycle helmets that can be found, which all have the same intention, to reduce head injuries and save lives. Typically, motorcycle helmets will come with a chin strap to assure the helmet is securely fastened to the head and remains snug in case of an accident.
A few popular types of helmets include:
- Full Face Helmet
- Modular “flip-up” Helmet
- Motocross Helmet
- Open Face Helmet
- Half Helmet
- Novelty Helmets (NOT a legal motorcycle helmet)
Of course, wearing a helmet while operating a motorcycle has been proven to reduce head injuries, motorcyclists continue to ride without wearing a helmet day after day. After viewing the statistics, we highly recommend wearing a helmet whenever operating a vehicle where your entire body is exposed.
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Helmet Safety Design
The primary focus when designing a motorcycle helmet is to protect the motorcyclists head in the case of an impact. Typically, helmet safety designs implement the use of fiberglass reinforced with Kevlar or carbon fiber, however they can also be found in plastic. The designs will also provide a foam lining with fabric to provide additional protection and comfort.
If we were to take a look at the inner layer of a motorcycle helmet, we would find that it is lined with what is known as Expanded Polystyrene foam and an outer layer to protect the foam. This foam is designed to cushion the impact caused by the head bashing into the ground. The outer shell of the helmet is used to protect the head from anything that could penetrate the helmet and cause damage to the permeable liner of the helmet or the head.
Common motorcycle helmet features include:
- Face shields
- Air vents
- Ear protection
- Visor
- Intercom for communication
Additional studies prove that the color of a motorcycle helmet can also make a difference in the aid of making a rider visible to other drivers. The studies show that riders wearing a white helmet have a 24 percent lower risk of being involved in an accident than wearing a black helmet. However, more riders select the black helmet due to the persona associated with being a motorcyclist.
Head Injuries Caused By Accidents
In general, people have the misperception that a motorcycle helmet is used to protect the rider from “splitting” their head open, however, these skull fractures are usually non-life threatening injures. In actuality, motorcycle helmets are designed to protect a rider from suffering from brain injuries. Statistics show that around 52,000 deaths each year are caused by auto accidents, while every 20 seconds a person in the United States is suffering from a brain injury.
A few common types of head injuries caused by motorcycle accidents include:
- Skull Fractures
- Facial bone fracture
- Basilar skull fracture
- Hematomas
- Epidural hematoma
- Acute subdural hematoma
- Facial lacerations
- Contusions
- Brain stem contusions
- Frontal lobe contusions
- Cerebral contusions
By providing a firmer layer inside the helmet, they can prevent the head from coming to an abrupt stop, thus preventing a brain injury from occurring. This is the main goal of all helmet design evolution.
Contact an Experience motorcycle accident attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, the victim could be entitled to receive compensation for their losses. In some cases, if you have lost a loved one, it could result in a wrongful death lawsuit. By talking to a knowledgeable attorney, you may find that you are eligible to receive compensation for losses and damages resulting from your accident.
At Gordon & Partners, we are dedicated to protecting the rights of citizens, and have a wealthy history of helping individuals like you to receive the MAXIMUM compensation benefits they may be entitled to receive.
With our main offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart, and Pembroke Pines, we are licensed to serve the entire state of Florida, some local areas include:
- Lantana
- Boynton Beach
- Kings Point
- Lake Park
- Palm Springs
- Lake Worth
- Century Village
For more information about how our Palm Beach County injury attorneys can help you in this time of need, or to schedule a free no-obligation consultation, contact us at 1 (855) 722-2552 and a member of our intake team will gather information from your accident and refer you to one of our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys.
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