On this Memorial Day weekend, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana head and brain injury attorneys at Dué Guidry Piedrahita Andrews Courrege L.C. advise motorcyclists to wear a DOT approved helmet while riding. It is well known that head injuries are a leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents. Wearing a helmet has been shown to limit injury severity and reduce he number of traumatic brain injuries and fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), helmets are estimated to have saved the lives of 1,829 motorcyclists in 2008.
After a 1999 law in Louisiana limiting helmet use requirements, the motorcycle fatality rate increased by more than 25 percent. After Louisiana discovered that nonhelmeted riders in accidents experienced head injuries at twice the rate of helmeted riders, the universal helmet law was reinstated in 2004 and the number of motorcycle deaths declined.
Contact the experienced Baton Rouge Louisiana head and brain injury attorneys at Dué Guidry Piedrahita Andrews Courrege L.C. for more information about your legal rights if injured in in a motorcycle crash.