By Kevin Duffan, VA Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Plenty of evidence shows that helmets protect motorcyclists, athletes and people riding bicycles.

But a tragic accident in Hawaii (HI) has highlighted how head protection should be worn in other high-risk activities. Kameron Steinhoff, 21, died of head injuries following a skateboard accident this week, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Friends said the student was not wearing a helmet while skating on a street. The Medical Examiner’s Office said alcohol and drugs were not factors in this tragic accident.

The accident bears similarities to the death of a 16-year-old skateboarder in Loudon, VA, earlier this month. That skater was also killed after hitting his head while not wearing a helmet.

“I highly recommend all athletes to wear protective gear and to limit your actions to your ability,” Stephen Jefferson, the executive director of a Virginia skateboard project told the Loudon Times.

Last year our experienced VA personal injury attorneys reported on a highly preventable skateboarding accident in which a 14-year-old teenager fell off his skateboard and sustained head injuries on a pavement while he was being pulled by a car driven by a 17-year-old.

Traumatic brain injury and head wound victims often suffer side effects such as blurred vision, memory loss, and cognitive functions. They may end up needing 24-hour care. There have been numerous safety campaigns to highlight the importance of wearing helmets on skateboards, including a 500 mile trip on a skateboard made across North Carolina (NC) by Marion Karr, who suffered a brain injury on a bicycle, 30 years ago.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes skateboarders sustain about 18,700 head injuries a year. The figures are for 2004. Of these about 760 victims were hospitalized with more serious head injuries.

I grew up as a young kid riding skateboards, and we didn’t wear helmets back then.  Now, I realize that helmets really can and do save lives, and I will make sure my children wear protective gear when they are riding bikes, scooters, and skateboards.  Also, as experienced brain and head injury lawyers based in Virginia  the attorneys at our firm consistently emphasize the need for helmets to be worn and also for Helmet manufacturers to be mindful of whether their equipment is up to the job.

These manufacturers are under consistent scrutiny to improve their helmets to safeguard young people. But, notwithstanding any potential issues over helmets, the most dangerous course of action is not to wear one at all.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.