According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of fatal motorcycle crashes doubled between 1999 and 2008. In 2008, the agency reported that fatal truck and car accidents had declined while the number of fatal motorcycle accidents continued to rise. Between 2001 and 2008, over 1.2 million motorcyclists were treated in emergency rooms for injuries.
Motorcycle accidents in Hollywood and other cities are a leading cause of many injuries, including spinal cord injuries, fractures, internal injuries, crushing injuries, whiplash, and soft tissue injuries. Brain injuries in Hollywood and Florida are also often caused by traffic accidents, including motorcycle accidents. Head injuries are often a leading cause of fatalities when it comes to motorcycle crashes.
Florida law does not require adult motorcycle riders with adequate insurance coverage to wear helmets. However, safety experts agree that wearing helmets is one of the best ways to prevent head injuries and serious life-threatening injury in the event of a traffic collision in Hollywood or your community.
According to the CDC, helmets have a significant impact on motorcycle accident injury. Between 2008 and 2010, 42 percent of riders involved in the more than 14,000 fatal motorcycle crashes that occurred in that time period were not wearing helmets. States that have helmet requirements, only about 12 percent of fatal motorcycle collisions involve riders riding without helmets. In states with no helmet laws, close to 80 percent of riders involved in motorcycle fatalities weren’t wearing helmets at the time of their crash.
Wearing a helmet is the first step, but experts agree that more can be done. You can help by:
•Choosing to wear a helmet each time you ride and by carrying a spare for passengers.
•Encouraging friends and family to wear helmets if they ride.
•Taking a motorcycle safety course to improve your ability to avoid motorcycle accidents in the first place.
•Choosing the right motorcycle helmet. Choose a helmet that is functional and appealing enough that you will wear it each time you ride. Avoid wearing used helmets, as these may be already damaged and may provide scant protection in an accident.
•Always wearing your motorcycle helmet correctly. This means choosing a properly-fitted helmet and wearing one for each ride, using the straps to keep it securely on your head. A helmet that slips or falls off in a crash will not protect you.
Have you been injured in a motorcycle crash? Contact Flaxman Law Group to schedule a free case assessment. Charles Flaxman of Flaxman Law Group has more than three decades of experience as a trial attorney. Before graduating in the top 2% of his law class, he was an insurance adjuster for a decade, giving him insight and knowledge about how insurance companies and policies work. Charles Flaxman and the rest of the team at our full-service law firm would be pleased to review your insurance coverage, legal options, and other options following a serious accident or injury. Our team speaks Creole, Spanish, and English, so we are happy to provide you with assistance in the language that you are most comfortable in.