About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

21 Widener L.J. 349 (2011-2012)
Motorcycle Helmet Defense in Pennsylvania: Why Failure to Wear a Helmet Should Fail as a Means of Reducing Recovery

handle is hein.journals/wjpl21 and id is 355 raw text is: COMMENTS THE MOTORCYCLE HELMET DEFENSE IN PENNSYLVANIA: WHY FAILURE TO WEAR A HELMET SHOULD FAIL AS A MEANS OF REDUCING RECOVERY Steven J. Jones* I. INTRODUCTION On June 12, 2006, Ben Roethlisberger, starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, got on his 2005 Suzuki Hayabusal motorcycle to go for a ride through downtown Pittsburgh.2 He was not wearing a helmet.3 Roethlisberger was cut off by a motorist traveling in the opposite direction,4 causing a collision and sending him over the motorcycle's handlebars into the motorist's windshield.5 Police later commented on the extent of Roethlisberger's injuries: Roethlisberger lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head and a broken jaw, and severely injured both of his knees when he hit the ground.6 After being released from * J.D. Candidate, Widener University School of Law, May 2012. This comment is dedicated to the circus, three of my colleagues who showed me that even law school can be fun. 1 The Suzuki Hayabusa Gsxl300R is a sport-bike motorcycle made by Suzuki since 1999. Suzuki Motorcycle History, GLOBAL SUZUKI, http://www.globalsuzuki.com/motorcycle/history/products/products_1990s.html #yl999_hayabusa (last visited Feb. 4, 2012). It reaches speeds of 194 miles per hour, and it was listed in the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest production bike in the world. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2000: MILLENNIUM EDITION 179 (Nic Kynaston ed. 2000). 2 Len Pasquarelli & John Clayton, Big Ben in Serious Condition After Motorcycle Accident, ESPN (June 12, 2006), http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news /story?id=2480830. 3id. 4d 5 Id. (implying Roethlisberger flew over the handlebars judging from the direction in which he was traveling). 6 Paul Crowe, Ben Roethlisberger Motorcycle Accident, THE KNEESLIDER (June 12, 2006), http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/06/12/benroethlisberger 349

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most