Brain Injuries and Helmet Laws

Belmont Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Brain Injuries and Helmet Laws

Charlotte NC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Helmet laws significantly reduce the strain on public resources. Riders without a helmet cost more to treat at the hospital, spend a longer time in rehabilitation, and are more likely to require some form of public assistance to for pay medical bills and rehabilitation. In 1991, prior to enacting its helmet law, the state of California’s medical insurance program paid $40 million for the treatment of motorcycle-related head injuries. After putting the universal helmet law that number decreased down to $24 million.

“Mandatory helmet laws do nothing to prevent accidents. The decision on when to wear a helmet while operating a motorcycle should remain with each responsible adult rider.”

It is true that wearing a helmet does nothing to prevent accidents. However, it is also true that in the event of an accident, a biker wearing a helmet is more likely to survive a head injury, and will have less brain injury than a biker not wearing a helmet. It’s like saying steel-toed shoes won’t prevent warehouse accidents–true, but they will protect your toes should something fall on your foot.

According to a recent report by the Insurance Journal, Delaware (the only state included in the report) saw deaths from motorcycle crashes increase by more than 300% in the past year, compared with the previous year. Of those deaths, 80% occurred when riders were not wearing helmets.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/

 

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Summer and Motorcycle Accidents

Rock Hill SC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

We are in the end of July and summer is in full swing. The roads are packed with families driving to the beach for vacation or up to the mountains for a summer camping trip. Along with that, motorcyclists are out enjoying every beautiful day trying to get riding time in before summer comes to an end. With traffic congested roads and motorcycles everywhere, accidents increase significantly.

A Chester County motorcyclist is dead after being thrown from his motorcycle on a major highway. The 22 year year old motorcyclist was cruising on his 1991 Suzuki without a helmet on when he struck a curb and was thrown from his bike. He was pronounced dead on the scene, said Lyle Dickerson, Chester County deputy coroner.

Another motorcyclist  in Charlotte was hit by a car and brought to a local hospital, the motorcyclist suffered a broken leg.

During these busy summer months we as drivers need to be extra cautious and always look for motorcyclists. Also, to help prevent fatalities make sure that as a motorcyclist your wearing your helmet and protective gear.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

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Motorcycle Fatalities Increase as Summer Approaches

Rock Hill SC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

As summer quickly approaches and kids are out of school for the summer, our roads will quickly fill up with more traffic. With more traffic on our roads the risk for an accident is that much greater, especially for motorcycles. Motorcycles often go unseen on the road until a vehicle makes contact with them on the road.

In just a 4 day time span Rock Hill experienced one fatal motorcycle crash and another critical injury crash.

The fatal accident occurred when the man was ran off the road, struck a ditch and was thrown from his motorcycle while not wearing a helmet. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just a few days later another local motorcyclist was critically injured in a hit-and-run incident. The men who hit the motorcyclist were later found and charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

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“Universal” Helmet Law

Rock Hill SC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

North Carolina is among a small group states that has coined the term “universal” motorcycle helmet law. That means that all bike riders and passengers, regardless of age, must wear a helmet at all times while riding.

That comparatively stringent exaction deserves recognition and kudos, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only 20 states across the country have universal helmet laws, and the CDC cites statistics that readily show those states as generally having fewer fatalities in motorcycle accidents and increased cost savings compared to states with only “partial” helmet laws.

“These laws save lives,” says CDC lead author Rebecca Naumann in referring to all-rider-and-passenger helmet laws. Naumann and other helmet advocates further scoff at the notion held by some that helmets actually limit vision and can increase the likelihood of a motorcycle crash. Many of those persons also favor less-than-universal laws based on arguments of personal freedom.

Those ideas are simply wrong, say safety experts, who note that the evidence favoring universal helmets is solid, even overwhelming. According to the CDC, states with lesser, partial law have fatal accident rates in motorcycle crashes that are about five times higher generally than in states with universal laws.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

Source: Washington Post, “CDC: Deaths and costs to society are lower in states with toughest motorcycle helmet laws,” June 14, 2012

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Large Truck and Motorcycle Collide

Early Sunday morning a man died when his motorcycle struck another vehicle. The man on the motorcycle was riding without a helmet on at the time of the crash.
The motorcyclist had been traveling “at a very high rate of speed” just before his motorcycle struck another vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other vehicle in the crash left the scene and is being sought by the S.C. Highway Patrol.  The autopsy showed that the man died as a result of trauma suffered in the crash.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

Source: http://www.thestate.com/2013/04/14/2723802/person-dies-in-northeast-richland.html#storylink=cpy
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Motorcycle Deaths/Injuries Cost Over $16 billion

Charlotte NC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

The cost from crashes involving motorcycle deaths or injuries were roughly $16 billion in 2010. This number is not including any long-term medical care that could be required in the future, which would increase this number dramatically.

Motorcyclists are statistically involved in more fatal crashes than drivers of other types of vehicles, and increase the chances by 30 times of dying  in a traffic crash than passenger car occupants, according to the Government Accountability Office report.

In 2010, 82,000 motorcyclists were injured and 4,502 were killed in crashes, the report said. The average cost for a fatal crash was estimated to be around $1.2 million, while the cost for injuries ranged from $2,500 to $1.4 million depending upon the severity.

Determining the entire costs with accuracy is near impossible because it is all case depending. For example, treating serious injuries can be long and expensive, but follow-up analyses of costs are conducted only for a few years. Also, other consequences of long-term injuries such as changes in employment and living status can’t be fully measured, the report said.

Laws that require all motorcyclists to wear helmets is the only proven strategy in reducing fatalities and injuries, the report said. Several studies have estimated helmets reduce the risk of death by as much as 39 percent, the report said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated helmets saved the lives of more than 1,500 motorcyclists in 2010.

There are only 19 states that have universal helmet laws, requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. While another 28 states have a partial helmet law in effect, which usually pertains to motorcyclists under age 21 or 18. The other 3 states being Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire do not have any motorcycle helmet laws.

While many motorcycle groups endorse the use of helmets, they also oppose mandatory helmet laws as infringements on personal liberties and their right to assume the risk of riding without a helmet, the report said. Instead, motorcycle groups have backed better safety education as a means to prevent accidents.

“Education is not a substitute for wearing a helmet,” said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which supports mandatory helmet laws. “It’s like saying if you take a driver’s ed class, you don’t have to wear your seat belt. Now how silly is that?”

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

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Motorcycle Helmets Linked to Hearing Loss

Charlotte NC Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcyclists wearing helmets may be at risk of hearing loss, not from the loud noise of their motorcycle engine, but from the sound of the wind cutting through the helmet. A new study has been done that shows the need for greater research to produce safer helmets that don’t have any health effects. If there is truly a risk to a motorcyclist’s hearing, this would indicate a higher risk of motorcycle accidents due to the inability of the rider to hear approaching vehicles and horns.

According to research by scientists at the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, wind can escape from just underneath the helmet, and can damage the eardrums. This sound can be strong enough to cause hearing loss. The study titled Aeroacoustic Sources of Motorcycle Helmet Noise finds that motorcyclists who wear helmets may be a risk of suffering hearing loss even when they ride at safe speeds.

The scientists in the study used mannequins, and re-created the levels of noise that a motorcyclist is exposed to while riding. They found one particular spot under the helmet which allows sound to travel to the eardrums. The researchers are calling for more studies into the differences in how motorcyclists perceive sound, in order to better understand what’s going on here.

In the meantime, they recommend protecting your hearing while wearing a helmet by using earplugs. Earplugs have long been found to be to be an effective way of protecting the ears from damage. Earplugs can help block out much of the noise that attacks eardrums, but allows motorcyclists to continue to hear important sounds, like traffic noise. Earplugs have been popular among motorcyclists for a while now, but are likely to become even more popular now that the study shows a high risk of hearing loss from helmets.

Wearing a helmet is still recommended regardless of the findings in this study. While we respect the opinions of the individuals who do not prefer to wear helmets, the benefits of wearing a motorcycle helmet are greater than any risks of suffering hearing loss from helmet use. The helmet is the most basic protection that a motorcyclist has, protecting him from fatal or serious traumatic brain injury in an accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmeted motorcyclists not only have a lower risk of suffering serious or fatal injuries, but also have lower hospitalization expenses and a shorter hospital stay after an accident. Non-helmeted motorcyclists are much more likely to suffer a serious injury, and end up spending more on hospitalization with several days in an inpatient treatment facility.

Researchers should use the findings of this study to design a safer helmet that can not only protect the motorcyclist from traumatic brain injury, but also reduce the risk of hearing loss. Anti-helmet groups already have enough reasons why they believe helmets should not be made mandatory, and they are likely to use these findings to further their cause. A motorcyclist has little control over how other motorists behave around them. They can’t control or account for drivers’ speeding, reckless driving or drunk driving. However, they can increase their chances of surviving accidents by wearing DOT-approved helmets.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Law Firm of Bice Law

We investigate the accident records or scene in order to interview key witnesses and document evidence before it has been destroyed or removed.  We’ll review your medical records and evaluate your long-term prognosis to assess the amount of damages that your injury warrants. We proudly serve the people of North and South Carolina. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law today by calling (855) 5-BICE-LAW or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney. Results are how we measure success – we’ve built a strong reputation both in and out of the courtroom, and we’ll put our experience and expertise to work on your behalf.

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