If you’ve been inured in a motorcycle accident, your personal injury case could be affected by your use of a helmet. How much a helmet matters depends on where you live, the injuries you’ve sustained and the circumstances of your collision.
How will helmet use impact your case?
Wearing a helmet: If you were wearing a helmet but still sustained some kind of head injury, your use of the proper safety care is an essential part of your case. Using a helmet shows that you took all proper precautions to preserve your health and that your injuries would have been much worse without the protection. If another driver was at fault, helmet damage can show just how fast and how poorly they were operating a vehicle, since helmets are designed to withstand significant impact.
If you were wearing a helmet but did not sustain a head injury, the helmet still shows that you followed the law if applicable and that you were a cautious and safe operator.
Not wearing a helmet: If you chose not to wear a helmet and had injuries to your head, it may make your case more difficult. Even if your state has no helmet law or very lax helmet rules, not wearing a helmet can still damage your case. For states with helmet laws, lack of a helmet can be catastrophic for your case, even if you didn’t have any head injuries, because you were breaking the law by going helmet free.
All but three states have some form of helmet law, so it is important to follow all the rules of the road before climbing aboard a motorcycle. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, whether you were wearing a helmet or not, the best thing you can do is seek out professional legal advice from a motorcycle injury attorney. Your injury lawyer can help you get the award you deserve for your injuries and make sure you are fully compensated after your accident.
