Injured When Cycling Without a Helmet

What are the risks associated with cycling with no helmet?

By wearing a helmet when cycling, you’re protecting the most important part of the body—the brain. If you choose not to wear a helmet, you’re at risk of the following:

• Head & facial injuries: Head injuries can range from concussions to traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can affect cognitive function, physical abilities and emotional well-being. Facial injuries can include minor scrapes and bruises to dental damage, severe fractures and deep lacerations. Without the protection of a helmet, the face is particularly vulnerable to impact with the road and other vehicles, and such injuries can have lasting effects, including permanent scarring, sensory loss and disfigurement.
• Decreased visibility: Helmets are often designed with reflective materials and bright colours, allowing drivers to better see cyclists, especially in dimmer conditions. Cycling with no helmet puts you at risk of head or facial injuries and makes you less noticeable on the road, increasing your chances of being involved in an accident.
• False sense of security: You may think your skills as a cyclist put you at less risk of being involved in a road traffic accident, or you think you know the roads well enough and are cycling at a low enough speed to mitigate the need for a helmet. But remember, the road is unpredictable, and accidents can happen anywhere. Even a slow-speed fall can cause serious head injuries or TBI.
• Psychological impact: As well as physical injuries, cycling accidents can also affect mental health, causing issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD and even fear of cycling again. The psychological impact can seriously impact a person’s quality of life and their relationship with cycling in the future.
• Longer recovery time: Statistically, in many cases where cyclists survive accidents without helmets, their recovery time is significantly longer, especially for those suffering brain injury. Wearing a helmet can mean the difference between a minor injury and a more life-threatening situation, and extended recovery can affect many aspects of life, including personal relationships and the ability to work.
• Healthcare costs: If you have more severe injuries, you could require rehabilitation and even long-term care, which come at a price and can place financial strain on you and your loved ones. A brain injury alone requires extensive medical care that could last years.
• Fatality: Statistically, if you’re not wearing a bike helmet, you’re at increased risk of death caused by a bicycle accident—helmets absorb impact and reduce force before the skull and brain are impacted. Without a helmet, you are left vulnerable to the most devastating outcomes.

Although wearing a helmet won’t lessen your risk of having an accident on the roads, it can significantly reduce the severity of injuries, protecting you from the worst-case scenarios.

If I wasn’t wearing a bike helmet, can I still claim compensation?

If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident and weren’t wearing a helmet, it is important to know that you can still claim compensation for your injuries. However, the other party can claim ‘contributory negligence’ and that the severity of your injuries came from not being properly protected. If this defence is upheld, you can still receive compensation, but it will be reduced. Our cycling accident compensation calculator can give you an indication of how much you may be able to claim.

As the claims process can be complex if you were in an accident and weren’t wearing a helmet, you’ll need a specialist cycling accident claims solicitor to guide you. Seek the instruction of No Win No Fee Solicitors, so you won’t need to pay any legal fees upfront to receive advice on moving forward with your claim.

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