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CPSC Recalls Detective Bicycle Helmets for Injury Risks

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of full-face bicycle helmets because of a defect that can cause the helmet to come off from the wearer’s head, exposing him to the risk of head injuries during an accident.  The defective bicycle helmets were manufactured by a California-based company.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Scotts Valley-based bicycle helmet manufacturer Bell Sports have announced a recall of 31,100 full-face bicycle helmets.  The recall also includes about 2, 500 bicycle helmets sold in Canada.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the defect is related to a buckle that can fail, exposing the driver to injuries.  The plastic buckle on the chin straps can collapse, causing the helmet to come off from the wearer’s head.  A bicyclist wearing a helmet like this and involved in an accident is looking at serious head injuries and brain injuries.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, it is aware of at least one incident in which the helmet actually came out from the wearer’s head, during an accident.  In that incident, the bicyclist suffered injuries that required stitches.

The recall includes the Bell Exodus full-face bicycle helmets that have a plastic buckle chin strap.  The following model numbers are included in the recall:

• 1003825/035011898025 which comes in orange, grey and black
• 1006714/035011917719 which comes in white, black, gold, grey, blue

The helmet comes with a white sticker inside the helmet, with the name Exodus and the weight and size of the helmet mentioned.  The defective helmets were sold between August 2009 and March 2011 in Canada and the United States.  The helmets were manufactured in Taiwan.

Bicyclists in California need to be aware of this recall, since so many of them will be on the streets this summer.  Wearing a bicycle helmet can be the most important line of defense for a bicyclist in an accident.

Brain injuries are some of the most serious injuries seen in bicycle accidents.  A bicyclist may end up with serious injuries because impact with a vehicle or stationary object can send a bicyclist flying from the bike and crashing onto the pavement.  Bicyclists who are not wearing a helmet are at a high risk of suffering traumatic brain injury, whose symptoms include loss of consciousness, confusion, disorientation, skull fracture and other symptoms.

A traumatic brain injury can have lifelong consequences for an individual.  These effects can range from short-term memory loss, confusion, frequent bouts of dizziness and loss of consciousness, to serious consequences like the inability to perform routine tasks.  This summer, Los Angeles bicycle accident attorneys would encourage all bicyclists to wear properly fitting bicycle helmets every time they ride.  Children must also be encouraged to wear helmets while riding a bicycle.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents in California. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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