Florida Bicycle Crash Head Injuries

Undoubtedly, a head injury (or brain damage) is the most serious nonfatal injury one could experience in their bicycle accident. As Florida bicycle accident attorneys, we have experience in handling brain injury cases from bicycle crashes. Head injuries can also cause death, and fatal bike accidents rose 6% in 2012. Interestingly, New York studies show that the existence of a bike lane at the scene of the bicycle accident reduces the percentage that the victim will suffer a head injury. This may be due to the fact that motorists are becoming more aware of bike lanes and the right of bicycles to share the road with cars. Regardless, bike accident head injuries pose a major threat to cyclists who bike on the road with cars.

Do I Have a Bike Accident Head Injury Case?

If you experience a head injury in a bicycle accident, you should speak with a bike injury lawyer today. You may be entitled to bring a bike accident brain damage lawsuit for the damages you've sustained. For a free bike accident head injury case evaluation, call us at 888-375-9998 or fill out the contact form. A Florida bicycle accident head injury lawyer will follow up and speak with you about your options shortly.

Bicycle Accident Brain Injury Facts and Statistics

Every year, the number of reported head injuries from bicycle accidents outnumbers the total number of head injuries relating to baseball, football, skateboards, scooters, horseback riding, snowboarding, hockey, skating and lacrosse combined. In wrongful death bicycle accidents, 66% of the deceased suffered head injuries and 1 out of 8 of the surviving injured victims suffered a head injury. In a 2000 sports injury related study, bicycle crash injuries came in first out of all activities for injuries requiring hospitalization (65,000 visits). Most of these injured cyclists reported headinjuries at the hospital. The second most frequent sports-based injury was basketball, at 50,000 per year. 

Does Wearing a Bike Helmet Reduce the Chance of Suffering a Head Injury?

It does, but only specific types of head injuries are reduced by wearing a bike helmet. A recent Washington Post article says the scientific and medical evidence of bike helmets reducing injury is mixed. Studies show that helmets prevent ten to forty percent of head injury in bike accidents, says WABA board member Jim Titus. Titus testified against mandatory bike helmet laws, claiming that bike helmets are not effective against axonal shearing brain injuries in bike accident head injury cases.

Should Bike Helmet Laws be Mandatory to Prevent Head Injuries?

This is a state by state determination. Interestingly, a recent study shows that when mandatory bike helmet laws are put in place in a state, bike ridership goes down significantly. However, the same study shows that mandatory helmet laws do reduce bike accident head injuries by 20%. The reduction in reported bicycle brain damage cases may be due to the fact that less people are riding bikes though.

Bike Accident Head Injuries and Bike Helmets: An Interesting Link

Is it possible that bike crash head injuries, like brain damage, are more likely if you are wearing a helmet? This may be due to the fact that motorists on the road feel more comfortable getting close to you on your bike. Ian Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University of Bath, performed a bike safety experiment. In his study, Walker took over 2,000 measurements as a bicycle rider with a sensor to detect the distance between him and passing cars. He performed some of the study with a helmet on, other times biking without a helmet. Interestingly, when Walker wore the helmet, passing motorists came closer to his bike while he was wearing the helmet when compared to when he bicycled helmetless. He was actually hit by a car twice during his experiment; both times while wearing a helmet. Luckily, Walker did not suffer any permanent head injury from the bike accidents. 

Bicycle Accident Head Injury Lawyer

If you or someone you know suffered a head injury, brain damage, concussion or skull fracture in a bicycle accident, you may have a potential bicycle accident lawsuit. Receive a complimentary consultation from a head injury bicycle accident lawyer today by filing out the case intake form above, or calling us at 888-375-9998.