The death of freestyle skier Sarah Burke after sustaining a traumatic brain
injury during a training accident is once again raising questions about
the dangers that can arise when someone is moving swiftly through snow
or ice and is involved in an accident. Granted, while freestyle skiing
tends is a lot more high-risk than other sports, there are dangers involved
in regular skiing, ice hockey, speed skating, sledding, snowboarding,
and tobogganing. The question is, how much does protective gear and clothing
actually protect people from catastrophic injuries?
Discovery.com reports that some studies show that while boots, helmets,
bindings, and other safety gear do decrease the risk of serious injuries,
these products have their limits. There are even products, such as the
wrist guards used by snowboarders, that don’t offer any actual benefits.
A person that is wearing them may even be worse off in certain accidents.
Also, despite the fact that manufacturers are continuing to develop new
protective gear, the rate of snow sport deaths hasn’t declined in
40 years. Granted, skiiers that don’t use helmets are more likely
to die from a head injury, but there are also helmet users that are dying
from trauma sustained by the body as a result of high-speed impact during
a fall or from colliding into a tree. Also, a helmet doesn’t provide
protection from spinal cord injuries.
In a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics last week,
simulated tobogganing crash tests done on helmets to test for side and
front impacts at varying meters/second found that bicycle helmets offered
the most protection at the highest velocity. Ice hockey helmets were best
able to offer protection at lower velocities. Alpine helmets provided
the worst protection of all three helmet types during both high and low
impacts. However, at over impacts of 4 meters/second, all helmets exhibited
damage to the inner liner and cracks.
It is important that all safety equipment warn of any risks involved when
using a product. Manufacturers must also make sure not to market safety
gear to make it appear as if it provides more protection than what is
actually does. Safety equipment and clothing should also be free of defects
that could cause it to malfunction and/or not provide the protection it
is supposed to give the wearer.
Our products liability lawyers represent both children and clients that
have sustained traumatic brain injuries in incidents involving defective
products and other catastrophic accidents. Contact The Gilbert Law Group®
today to schedule your free case evaluation.
Helmets vary in offering protection for winter sports and play, Los Angeles
Times, January 20, 2012
Sarah Burke, Freestyle Skier, Dies From Injuries in Training, New York
Times, January 19, 2012
Sarah Burke’s Death: Can Gear Keep Up with Skiers?, DiscoveryNews,
January 13, 2012
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
More Blog Posts:
Head Injury Risk Prompts Triple Eight Distribution to Recall 30,400 Bicycle
Helmets for Kids, Product Liability Law Blog, January 6, 2012
Do Toning Shoes Cause Foot Injuries?, Product Liability Law Blog, June 8, 2011
Defective Clothing Can Cause Serious Injuries, Product Liability Law Blog,
June 19, 2008
Our traumatic brain injury attorneys know the kind of toll that living with a TBI can have on the victim and loved ones. You may be able to hold the parties responsible for the injury liable.
