Category Archives: helmet technology expert

Helmet technology expert Dr. John Lloyd has served attorneys nationwide for 25+ years in biomechanics, human factors, helmet testing and motorcycle accident expert

Helmet Expert Vital in Motorcycle Accident Cases

Why Is a Helmet Expert Vital in Motorcycle Accident Cases?

Motorcycle accidents usually cause severe injuries, especially head injuries and brain injuries. Hence, helmet analysis is a key factor in a legal suit. The motorcycle helmet expert assesses how helmets perform in reducing head injuries and brain injuries as well as liability ascertainment in cases of accidents. 

Dr. John Lloyd is among the top experts in the field, known extensively as an expert in motorcycle accident biomechanics and human factors. Dr. Lloyd has testified all over the United States during the last 30 years and performs scientific analyses of helmets concerning safety and accident reconstructions.

Motorcycle Helmet Expert in Accident Cases

Importance of Motorcycle Helmet Expert in Accident Cases

A motorcycle helmet expert evaluates the performance of the helmet during the crash: whether or not it meets regulatory safety standards and state of the science. Assessing helmet design, integrity of the material, and impact absorption, one of the experts, Dr. John Lloyd, evaluates the the helmet effectiveness for its intended function of protecting the rider from injuries.

Evaluation of the Damage Sustained by the Helmet and the Forces of Impact

Many of the functions of the helmet expert witness include examining the helmet after a collision for damage. For example:

  • Cracks, dents, and abrasions, which inform how the helmet interacted during the crash
  • Impact locations as a measure of severity of head trauma.
  • Compression of helmet liner analyses for insights into force absorption.

Determining Compliance with Regulatory Safety Standards

Helmets should also be manufactured to meet the safety regulations for DOT (Department of Transportation), ECE, and Snell standards. A motorcycle helmet expert will review the facts and determine whether the specific helmet met such safety requirements and standards. 

Investigating Helmet Fit and Proper Usage

If a helmet does not fit well, it loses some of its protective functionality and can further enhance the risk of a serious head or brain injury. The motorcycle helmet expert examines: 

  • Was the rider wearing the right size helmet?
  • Was the helmet secured and fastened?
  • Did improper fit contribute to the severity of rider injuries?

Dr. Lloyd’s expertise assists legal teams in determining whether the helmet was misused or defective. 

Testifying On the Stand

In litigation, the motorcycle crash expert presents scientific results to support claims regarding injury causation and helmet performance. Dr. Lloyd has testified in Federal, Superior, District, and Circuit courts more than 60 times. His testimony can enlighten judges and juries on the issues at stake regarding the use and abuse of helmets.  can enlighten judges and juries on the issues at stake regarding the use and abuse of helmets. 

Was the rider wearing the right size of helmet

Can a motorcycle helmet expert determine if a defective helmet caused injuries?

Yes. A motorcycle helmet expert can identify defects in design and manufacture, improper materials, and design flaws that contributed to injuries. 

  1. How does helmet analysis help in accident reconstruction?

Helmet analysis yields crucial data concerning impact force, injury pattern, and crash dynamics, assisting experts such as Dr. John Lloyd in reconstructing the motorcycle accident from a scientific viewpoint. s yields crucial data concerning impact force, injury pattern, and crash dynamics assisting experts such as Dr. John Lloyd in reconstructing the accident from a scientific viewpoint. 

Final Thoughts! 

The motorcycle helmet expert is a significant element in any accident investigation, conducting helmet analysis regarding damage, impact, and fit. Through scientific analysis and expert testimony, Dr. John Lloyd helps to improve motorcycle safety and the settlement of accidents.

Research article “Brain Injury in Sports” published in Journal of Neurosurgery

Dr. Lloyd is pleased to announce that his research article  on Sports Brain Injury, co-authored with Dr. Frank Conidi has been published in the Journal of Neurosurgery:

Lloyd - Sports Brain Injury

OBJECT
Helmets are used for sports, military, and transportation to protect against impact forces and associated injuries. The common belief among end users is that the helmet protects the whole head, including the sports brain injury. However, current consensus among biomechanists and sports neurologists indicates that helmets do not provide significant protection against concussion and sport brain injury. In this paper the authors present existing scientific evidence on the mechanisms underlying traumatic head and sports brain injury, along with a biomechanical evaluation of 21 current and retired football helmets.

METHODS
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) standard test apparatus was modified and validated for impact testing of protective headwear to include the measurement of both linear and angular kinematics. From a drop height of 2.0 m onto a flat steel anvil, each football helmet was impacted 5 times in the occipital area.

RESULTS
Skull fracture risk was determined for each of the current varsity football helmets by calculating the percentage reduction in linear acceleration relative to a 140-g skull fracture threshold. Risk of subdural hematoma was determined by calculating the percentage reduction in angular acceleration relative to the bridging vein failure threshold, computed as a function of impact duration. Ranking the helmets according to their performance under these criteria, the authors determined that the Schutt Vengeance performed the best overall.

CONCLUSIONS
The study findings demonstrated that not all football helmets provide equal or adequate protection against either focal head injuries or traumatic brain injuries. In fact, some of the most popular helmets on the field ranked among the worst. While protection is improving, none of the current or retired varsity football helmets can provide absolute protection against brain injuries, including concussions and subdural hematomas. To maximize protection against head and brain injuries for football players of all ages, the authors propose thresholds for all sports helmets based on a peak linear acceleration no greater than 90 g and a peak angular acceleration not exceeding 1700 rad/sec2.

http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2014.11.JNS141742

Helmets Do Not Prevent Brain Injury?

In a word. No.

A better question might be “Can Helmets Prevent Brain Injury?” Same answer – No.

It is not currently possible to develop a helmet that can protect all persons under all foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. But, given current medical understanding of head and brain injuries as well as 21st Century advanced materials, it is certainly possible to protect most people from life-threattening brain injuries under foreseen circumstances.

Helmets are actually intended to protect against blunt trauma injuries to the head. They are not specifically designed to prevent brain injuries.

The mechanisms which cause head and brain injuries are quite different. Forces associated with linear accelerations are responsible for visible injuries, such as lacerations, contusions and skull fracture. Whereas, brain injuries, including concussions, axonal injury and subdural hematoma are caused by forces associated with angular / rotational accelerations. When the head impacts a surface, the skull may come to an abrupt stop, but inertia acting on the brain will cause it to continue to move This inertia strains the nerves and blood vessels of the brain, causing injuries. The type of injury is dependent on the magnitude of this strain and the time duration over which it acts on the brain.

Helmets may indeed reduce the rotational forces acting on the brain. But since helmets are not currently certified according to their ability to protect against brain injury the level of protection is not standardized. Hence, it is possible to sustain catastrophic brain injuries, even while wearing a helmet.

I have performed extensive biomechanical testing of helmets for various applications, including military, motorcycle, football, skiing / snowboarding and cycling. My testing involves measurement of both linear and angular accelerations, thereby characterizing helmets in terms of their ability to protect against head and brain injuries. Results vary substantially between manufacturers that offer helmets for particular applications and between applications. Based on my testing to date, I can report that certain football helmets seem to outperform helmets in other categories in terms of their ability to protect against head and brain injuries.

Much research has been conducted to understand and quantify biomechanical thresholds for various head and brain injuries, including skull fractures, concussions, axonal injury (damage to nerve fibers in the brain) and subdural hematomas (bleeding in the brain). Why then don’t all helmet manufacturers strive to provide necessary protection?

There are certain intrinsic or personal factors that might increase one’s risk of head and brain injury, but for the rest of us, why do helmets provide inadequate protection against life-threatening head and brain injuries during reasonable or foreseen use?

One example of this is the life-threatening brain injury which former Formula One superstar, Michael Schumaker sustained when he fell while skiing and impacted a rock. It has been reported that Mr. Schumaker was only skiing at about 13mph when he fell and the likelihood of impacting a fixed object while skiing, such as a tree or rock is certainly not unforeseen. So why did his helmet fail to provide necessary protection?

helmet - Dr. John Lloyd

Advanced materials certainly exist to provide required protection for normal persons, including Mr. Schumaker and many other unfortunate victims, under normal or foreseen circumstances. As end-users, we must demand that regulatory organizations require helmet manufacturers meet standards that protect persons who are not otherwise at heightened risk from head and brain injuries due to foreseen circumstances.