Do Helmets Prevent Head Injuries?

Have you ever commuted on a bicycle? Have you ever ridden a motorcycle down a country highway? If so, you are familiar with the safety benefits of wearing a properly fitted helmet. A helmet can help you avoid potentially life-changing or life-ending head injuries.

If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury, you deserve legal representation. Contact a Philadelphia bike accident attorney to learn your options about how to collect financial compensation after an accident.

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Philadelphia Bike Accident Guide

• How Helmets Help Prevent Head Injuries
• Brain Injuries That Helmets Help Prevent
• Limits On Helmets
• How Can a Bike Accident Lawyer Help Me?
• What Compensation Is Available After a Head Injury in a Bike Accident?
• How Long Do I Have To Sue After a Head Injury?
• Contact a Bike Accident Lawyer Today

How Helmets Help Prevent Head Injuries

Helmets help promote safety among motorcyclists, cyclists, and others who may participate in a dangerous activity. Here are some of the most important ways that helmets help protect people from head injuries.

Prevention of Skull Fractures

Skull fractures are serious head injuries. Motorcyclists and cyclists who do not use helmets put themselves at risk for skull fractures. A helmet protects the entire head and, therefore, the brain from injury.

Reducing Rotational Forces

A helmet can help stabilize the potentially injured person’s head. Stabilizing the head can help prevent rotational injury. Sometimes the force of a car accident can cause a rotational impact that can cause a concussion or whiplash.

Protection From Penetration

Helmets protect from penetrating injuries. Helmets are primarily designed to prevent skull fractures, which are often a precursor to brain injury. A fractured skull can lead to swelling or bleeding in the brain, which can be life-threatening.

Impact Absorption

Helmets can help prevent head injuries by absorbing the impact of the crash. The outer shell of the helmet spreads the force of an impact over a larger area, reducing the pressure on any single part of the skull and brain.

Cushioning and Padding

Cushioning and padding can help prevent brain injuries. The inner foam lining helps absorb shock and decelerates the head’s movement, which reduces the likelihood of the brain hitting the inside of the skull, a phenomenon called coup-contrecoup injury.

Brain Injuries That Helmets Help Prevent 

Helmets help prevent brain injuries. Here are some of the most common types of brain injuries that a helmet can help reduce the impact of or eliminate.

Contusions and Hematomas

A contusion is a bruise on the brain, and a hematoma is bleeding in the brain. Each of these types of brain injuries can lead to long-term neurological problems.

Concussions 

Helmets can help reduce a victim’s risk of a concussion. Concussions are a common form of traumatic brain injury. However, helmets cannot prevent concussions in all cases, especially in high-impact collisions.

Skull Fractures 

Helmets are very effective at preventing skull fractures, which often accompany severe brain injuries. A skull fracture can end in a serious and permanent disability or injury.

Limits On Helmets

Helmets cannot prevent all types of brain injuries. The level of protection and effectiveness of the helmet depends on the quality of the helmet, the type of activity participated in, and whether the helmet was worn properly.

Proper Use

Wearing a helmet incorrectly (i.e., not fastening the chinstrap or wearing a damaged helmet) significantly reduces its protective benefits.

Quality of Helmet

Not all helmets are equally effective. Motorcyclists and cyclists must use helmets that meet the United States Department of Transportation safety standards to ensure their effectiveness. Substandard helmets might lead to serious injuries.

Type of Activity 

Individuals should always use their helmets for their intended purpose. The protections offered by a helmet vary based on the type of activity. For example, motorcycle helmets are designed to withstand higher-speed impacts than bicycle helmets.

Helmets Do Not Prevent Accidents

Helmets do not always prevent every type of brain injury. Helmets do not fully protect riders against all potential injuries, including head and brain injuries. For example, a helmet cannot fully protect against:

Secondary Brain Injuries

Even with a helmet, an impact can cause a cascade of secondary injuries inside the brain (like swelling or bleeding), which can still lead to significant damage. Speak to an attorney about the full extent of your injuries to ensure you seek full compensation for the losses you have sustained from the accident.

High-Speed Impacts

A helmet may not shield you from the full force of a high-speed impact of an accident. In very high-speed crashes (i.e., motorcycle accidents at high speeds), helmets may not prevent all brain injuries, especially if the impact is severe enough to cause brain trauma, even with protective headgear.

Injuries From Vehicle Rollovers and Ejections 

While helmets can be very helpful, a helmet may not be enough defense against a vehicle rollover or ejection accident. If a rollover accident happens, a helmet might provide some protection if the person is thrown from the vehicle. However, depending on the circumstances, the helmet cannot fully prevent severe head or brain injuries from the violence of the ejection or impact.

Injuries Caused By Sudden Deceleration

Stops caused by a sudden stop can be severe, and wearing a helmet might not be enough defense to protect the rider from a serious injury. In certain kinds of traffic accidents, like high-speed car crashes, sudden deceleration can lead to head and brain injuries. The forces involved can be so extreme that the helmet’s protective capacity is insufficient to prevent severe trauma to the brain, even if the skull is protected from external impact.

Severe or Crushing Impact Injuries 

In crushing accidents, the victim’s head is subjected to a crushing force, such as being pinned by a vehicle. A helmet may provide some protection in such situations, but very little. While the helmet can absorb some of the force of the impact, the immense pressure involved in such accidents can lead to severe skull fractures or internal brain injuries that the helmet cannot prevent.

How Can a Bike Accident Lawyer Help Me?

Head injuries are serious and can get quite expensive to fully treat. Brain injury accident attorneys can be crucial in helping you navigate the legal, medical, and financial complexities following a brain injury. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, you need legal representation. An experienced bike accident attorney can help provide a range of services to ensure you receive the full and fair compensation to which you might be entitled.

Evaluating The Case

An attorney will review the facts and evaluate the viability of your claim. An attorney can assess the details of your case and determine if you may have a potentially successful claim. Your attorney will review the evidence, medical records, and witness testimony to determine liability and potential compensation.

Your legal team will also investigate who is at fault for causing the accident. In many cases, there are several potentially responsible defendants, and each defendant needs to be accountable for paying their part to compensate you for your injuries.

Maximize Compensation

Having an attorney working for you can maximize your compensation. Brain injuries often lead to lifelong consequences, including medical costs, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. An experienced bike accident attorney can determine the full extent of damages, ensuring that you seek compensation for not just current expenses but also future needs.

An attorney can also help with settlement negotiations. Insurance companies will try to minimize your monetary payout. A skilled attorney can negotiate on your behalf to ensure you never accept an unfair settlement. They can also handle complex insurance requests, which can be particularly challenging in cases involving severe head or brain injuries.

Gather Evidence

Gathering evidence is also essential to the success of your claim. Brain injury cases often involve complex medical issues. Your attorney will help gather medical records, expert opinions, and any documentation that establishes the severity and long-term effects of your brain injury.

Brain injury cases often require expert testimony from medical professionals, such as neurologists, neuropsychologists, or vocational experts. An attorney can connect you with the right experts who can testify on your behalf to demonstrate the extent of your injury and its impact on your life.

Handle Legal Procedures

The legal process can be stressful and confusing. It is important to have an experienced professional handle your matter on your behalf. If an insurance settlement is not enough to cover your needs, a bike accident attorney can file a lawsuit and represent you in court. They will handle the legal procedures, ensuring they meet all applicable deadlines and submit all necessary paperwork.

Support You Through The Recovery Process

The legal process can be emotionally draining. After getting hurt, especially after suffering from a brain injury, you might not be in a good emotional place to make sound decisions. If that is the case, then your attorney can step in to advise you on the best next step for your claim. Having an attorney gives you the legal guidance that you deserve after an accident.

Advocates For Fair Compensation

You need an advocate to access the compensation that you deserve. In addition to more obvious losses, like medical expenses or property damage, you might be entitled to certain non-economic losses. For example, you may have suffered physical and emotional pain from the fallout of the accident. This is called pain and suffering.

A bike accident attorney can claim proper compensation for pain and suffering, which is not directly measurable but is an important part of your overall compensation.

Fighting For Justice 

A bike accident attorney is not just a legal advisor but also a champion for your legal rights. Your lawyer understands the challenges that come with brain injuries, including cognitive difficulties and emotional impacts, and they will fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.

How Long Do I Have To Sue After a Head Injury? 

You do not have an unlimited amount of time to sue to recover your losses after an accident. The time you can file a lawsuit is limited by a procedural rule called the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is a deadline set by law that requires an injured plaintiff to file a lawsuit to get financial compensation. Hire an attorney to ensure you do not miss the statute of limitations or violate any other important procedural rules.

Contact a Bike Accident Lawyer Today 

You deserve proper legal representation after an injury-causing accident. Getting full compensation can be particularly difficult for an invisible and often misunderstood injury, such as a brain injury.

There is no reason to pursue compensation alone after getting hurt. A bike accident lawyer can make all the difference when receiving full and fair compensation. Do not hesitate to call a Philadelphia personal injury attorney today and begin your journey toward monetary compensation and getting your life back on track.