State Bicycle Helmet Laws

Wearing a bicycle helmet is always a good idea no matter what the law has to say, but bicycle helmet laws might also have an impact on an injury claim after a bicycle-car accident.

No state currently requires helmets for adult bicyclists, but just under half of U.S. states require the use of helmets by riders under a certain age. And it’s very important to note that the city or town where you live might have its own ordinance that applies to the wearing of bicycle helmets by adult riders, or by riders under a certain age.

For example, the state of Texas has no bicycle helmet law on the books, but the city of Dallas requires all bike riders to wear a helmet when they ride. So, riders in Dallas need to abide by that law despite the absence of a helmet law at the state level.

Bicycle Accidents and Helmet Laws

If you’re in a city or state where the law requires bicyclists to wear a helmet, and you end up getting a head injury after a collision with a vehicle, you’re probably going to have a more difficult time getting compensation from the at-fault driver.

That’s because, since there is a law requiring you to wear a helmet, your violation of that law automatically makes you negligent in connection with the accident. So, your state’s rules on shared fault will kick in to either reduce the amount of compensation you can receive, or eliminate your opportunity to collect anything at all. (Learn more about comparative and contributory negligence rules.)

In some cases, you may need to show that your head injury would have occurred even if you had been wearing a helmet, but that can be a tough thing to prove.