One of the best pieces of advice that our Mississippi bicycle accident attorneys can offer to bicyclists is to always wear a helmet. Unfortunately, the failure to wear a helmet substantially increases a bicyclist’s chances of suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other serious and sometimes fatal conditions. Oftentimes, we notice bicyclists frequenting the many gorgeous areas of our State who consistently ignore this advice, putting themselves at risk for severe injury and even death. It often makes us wonder why these people continue to risk their lives by not taking such a simple step to ensure their safety.
A poll conducted by the British Medical Journal clarifies our uncertainty in this regard. Specifically, the poll established that most individuals believe state mandated helmet laws are overly paternalistic and as a result, discouraging to cyclists. Otherwise stated, laws that require people to take safety measures often backfire and encourage them to do just the opposite. In this view, the poll found that over 65% of individuals who participated in the evaluation reported that they greatly oppose mandatory helmet laws. Moreover, the majority of these individuals felt that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that wearing a helmet significantly protects bicyclists from sustaining injuries should they be involved in an accident. Specifically, those polled believe that mandatory bike helmet laws wrongfully give the impression that biking is an abnormally dangerous activity. Accordingly, they feel that it greatly discourages people from engaging in this extremely healthy activity.
While the above mentioned poll may be meritorious to some degree or another, our experienced Mississippi bicycle accident attorneys cannot underscore the importance of wearing a helmet. Contrary to the belief of many of the majority of those polled, bicycling is in fact a highly dangerous activity and leads to serious and sometimes fatal injuries across the State of Mississippi and nationwide. While many streets are designed to accommodate bicyclists, they nonetheless face the threat of drivers who often have difficulty seeing them. Other bicycle accidents are caused by intoxicated and distracted drivers who are impaired to the point where they are not able to anticipate bicyclists on the road. Moreover, it goes without saying that for any bicycle accident involving an automobile or truck, wearing a helmet likely saved lives.
For more information, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys today to learn more about your legal options. We will take the time to evaluate your case and help maximize your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve for your injuries. We look forward to providing you with excellent representation.