Wearing a helmet can significantly reduce your chances of a severe wound if you wind up in a motorcycle accident. Additionally, in some states, failure to wear one can affect your ability to receive compensation for your injuries—even if you were not responsible for the incident. The following guide sheds light on what the rules are in Texas.

What Are Texas’s Helmet Laws?

In Texas, motorcycle drivers under the age of 21 must wear helmets. The law also applies to passengers. Over this age, they may go without, but only if they meet specific requirements. One option is to have a health insurance plan in place that provides medical coverage for injuries caused by a motorcycle accident. The other exception is if you can show successful completion of a state-approved motorcycle safety and operating training course. 

What Happens If a Helmet Wasn’t Worn?

Suppose someone else is negligent or reckless and hits you while you are bare-headed. In that case, their attorney may successfully argue that your injuries were exacerbated because you did not have the right safety gear on.

Under Texas’s modified comparative negligence rule, any compensation for injuries could be reduced by a percentage equal to the motorcycle owner’s fault. This means you might not receive enough to cover your medical care costs and property damage expenses.

Furthermore, if you had a passenger with you at the time of the motorcycle accident who should have been wearing a helmet and was not, the jury may cite you for negligence. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make sure you—and anyone riding with you—are properly protected. Should you wind up in a collision, you can also look after yourself by seeking representation with someone experienced in personal injury law.

The law office of Reed & Terry, L.L.P. in Sugar Land, TX, is the trusted authority on motorcycle accident compensation cases. Serving Harris and Fort Bend counties, the team of professional lawyers has more than 100 years of combined experience working with individuals who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence. You can count on clear and consistent communication when it comes to your case. To learn more about how this personal injury law office can help you, call (281) 491-5000. Go online to request a free case review.