Experts agree that helmets are one of the best ways to avoid serious head injury. Each year in Coral Gables, head injuries occur because people do not wear helmets while bicycling or taking part in sports that require a helmet. Childhood head injuries caused by sports injuries or bicycle accidents can be especially traumatic, since studies have shown that children can face an especially challenging road to recovery after head trauma.
If you are a parent, you will want to make sure that your child is always protected by a helmet while bicycling or taking part in contact sports. Getting teens and children to wear helmets, however, can be tricky. If you are having trouble, you will want to:
1) Give your child the option of choosing their own helmet and accessories. If your child chooses a helmet that they like, they are more likely to wear it. There are also many accessories that are designed to make helmets fun and appealing for children and teens. Take a look at some of these accessories with your child. If it makes your child want to wear a helmet, it can help them stay safe.
2) Consider investing in more than one helmet. Having more than one helmet to choose from can be appealing, especially for teens. Multiple helmets mean that the helmets are easy to find when they are needed and when a child grows tired of the look of one helmet, they have others to try. It is an investment to buy multiple helmets, but it is worth it. Those who are injured in contact sports or in bicycle accidents in Coral Gables and other communities increase their risk of survival and decrease their risk of serious injury by wearing a helmet.
3) Talk with your child about head injuries. Children and teens may not think that head injuries can happen to them. Talk to your child, using real life examples of children their age who have been injured. Talk to them about celebrities – including NHL player Sydney Crosby – who have sustained head injuries. There are many good resources online that can help drive the message home. Look up examples of head injuries to children and teens in Coral Gables or your community so that your children can see that these types of injuries can happen to anyone – and that wearing a helmet can prevent these injuries.
4) Make sure you set rules about helmet use. Make it clear exactly when children are expected to wear helmets – when taking part in specific contact sports and when bicycling. Go over how to fasten a helmet correctly and write down the rules about helmet use. Review them often. Make sure that you explain which privileges will be revoked if your child breaks these rules.
If your child has sustained a serious head injury that you believe was caused by someone’s negligence or recklessness, you can always contact the Flaxman Law Group to speak to a legal professional about your case. An initial consultation with our personal injury attorneys is free of charge and comes with no obligation, so if you think you may have a case call today.