However, motorcycle helmets can help prevent other serious injuries. It has been long established that helmets help prevent traumatic brain injuries. A new study from Johns Hopkins now finds that motorcycle helmets may also help prevent some spinal cord injuries.
The Significance of the Motorcycle Helmet Spinal Cord Injury Study
In the past, there has been some confusion over whether a helmet prevented motorcycle accident spinal cord injuries. Those who do not support mandatory motorcycle helmet use often rely on a study from the 1980s in which an economics professor concluded that the weight of a motorcycle helmet could cause spinal cord injuries.
The new study completed by doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that motorcycle riders who wore helmets were 22% less likely to suffer cervical spine injuries when compared to motorcyclists who did not wear helmets during accidents.
In Georgia, it is the law to wear a helmet while driving or riding on a motorcycle, and this study provides additional support for this mandatory safety measure.
Contact an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyer if You’ve Been Hurt in a Crash
The study found that helmets were useful, but not completely effective, in preventing spinal cord injuries. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury or another injury in a Georgia motorcycle crash, then you may be entitled to damages.
Contact an Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney at 770.518.1133 to discuss your rights and potential recovery after a crash.