Some motorcyclists may hesitate to wear a helmet if it is not required by law. However, this can be a highly risky decision if you like to ride, as collisions are always possible. Although it is still possible to suffer a head injury when you are wearing a helmet, you will be far better off, on average, when wearing a helmet if a crash occurs.
No matter the circumstances, you should always contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have suffered an injury in a crash to pursue financial compensation for your injuries. When other drivers cause your accident, their insurance should cover your injury-related losses.
Seeking compensation can be difficult in motorcycle accident cases, making the right motorcycle accident attorney critical. You especially need skilled representation if you suffered a head injury in a motorcycle crash, with or without a helmet.
How Motorcycle Helmets Can Protect You
The job of a motorcycle helmet is to absorb and spread the impact of a crash. You may have been struck directly by a car or thrown from your bike to the ground. The helmet’s outer shell is a very tough material that spreads the impact around your head instead of allowing it to be concentrated in one place. The protective material can reduce the risk of a fracture, although you may still suffer some sort of head injury.
The inner lining of the helmet absorbs the impact of the crash further. The thick layer of foam provides further padding, which can help prevent traumatic brain injury or concussion.
When choosing a motorcycle helmet, you should ensure that it is safety-rated by the Department of Transportation. In addition, you should also make sure that your helmet properly fits your head and remains in place. Buying a high-quality motorcycle helmet is one area where it makes sense to make a large investment. After all, you are spending money to protect your health and future and should not spare any expense.
Helmets Reduce, But Do Not Eliminate, the Risk of a Head Injury
Whether it is a bicycle or motorcycle helmet, wearing a protective covering on your head can never fully eliminate the risk of a head injury. A helmet merely reduces the potential for a head injury and often limits the severity of such an injury.
For example, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes statistics detailing a motorcycle helmet’s effectiveness. According to NHTSA:
- Motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of fatal injury among operators by 37 percent and passengers by 41 percent
- Wearing a motorcycle helmet can reduce the chances of a brain injury by 67 percent and other head injuries by 69 percent.
In other words, there is no foolproof way to completely eliminate the chances of a head injury while wearing a helmet. However, you can be far safer when you wear a helmet than when you do not. Even if you do suffer a head injury, a motorcycle helmet can mean the difference between a debilitating brain injury and making a full recovery.
Always Wear a Helmet, Even When it Is Optional
Motorcycle helmets are not required by law in every state. In some jurisdictions, only motorcyclists below a certain age must wear a helmet. If it is not mandatory to wear a motorcycle helmet, choosing to use one is a matter of your own personal judgment.
It is better to err on the side of caution and take as many safety measures as possible. You never want to place yourself at greater risk of injury when there was a minor step you might have taken to lessen your chances of being seriously harmed. That said, choosing not to wear one should not affect your claim if your state’s laws do not require them.
Failure to Wear a Helmet Can Complicate Your Legal Case
If you were not wearing a helmet, you can expect some pushback from the insurance company when seeking compensation for your damages. The adjusters may even try to refuse to pay your claim entirely when you have serious head injuries. While the insurance company may have some legitimate grounds to reduce your compensation if you were not wearing a helmet, they are not justified in attempting to eliminate it entirely.
The insurance company will always overstate how you may have made your injury worse by not wearing a helmet. They may claim that the injury was preventable if you had been wearing a helmet, even though statistics show they are not 100 percent effective in preventing head injuries.
They can draw any assumption possible to try to reduce your compensation. You need a motorcycle accident lawyer to push back on your behalf to fight for you to get a settlement check that is as large as possible. Nonetheless, you can expect the fact that you were not wearing a helmet to result in at least some type of challenge during the insurance process.
You Need to Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Immediately
If you have been injured in an accident, always contact a motorcycle accident lawyer immediately to discuss your case. You cannot afford to put the legal process aside, even when you are dealing with serious physical injuries, because you may be dealing with an aggressive insurance company that wants to protect its own finances at your expense. You should get help from a motorcycle accident attorney regardless of whether you wore a helmet at the time of the accident.
Hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer for your case does not cost you anything from your pocket. All you need to do is sign a representation agreement that promises to pay the motorcycle accident attorney if and when you win your case. Then, they will receive a percentage of the money you are paid as the fee for their services. Your attorney should not charge fees if you do not win, so you have nothing to lose.
Schedule your free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Nashua now to begin protecting your future following a head injury.