Personal Injury Law

New Study Reports That Helmets Can Prevent Spinal Injuries In Motorcycle Crashes

By Bruce Stern

Although most of us know that wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle will help prevent serious brain injuries, and even death, a new study reports that motorcyclists who wore helmets were 22% less likely to suffer a cervical spine injury than those who did not wear helmets. The study was conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
 
The study debunks an earlier report which suggested that wearing helmets could increase the likelihood of a serious spinal cord injury in a crash. However, over the past 25 years since that study was conducted, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has criticized the report. The more recent study strongly suggests that motorcycle riders wearing helmets had a 65% reduction in risk of traumatic brain injury, and the odds of death were 37% less when compared to those riders who didn't wear them. Additionally, the study provided strong evidence that helmets did in fact lower the chances of cervical spine injuries.

Full post as published by Traumatic Brain Injury Law Blog on March 28, 2011 (boomark / email).