This case involves a woman who fell off her motorcycle on the highway and landed face first. She was wearing a top-rated high-performance helmet. The lower part of the helmet cracked in half from the impact of the fall. As a result, the woman sustained significant fractures to her jaw. Her jaw had to be wired shut during an 8-week recovery period during which time she suffered severe discomfort and pain. An expert in ergonomics with experience in helmet design was sought to examine the helmet in question and determine if the model was defective.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Please describe your background with motorcycle helmet standards. 2. Under what circumstances would high-performance motorcycle helmets crack in half?
Expert Witness Response E-010692
I hold a Ph.D. in ergonomics and human factors with a specialization in biomechanics. I have been accepted by various courts as qualified in accident reconstruction, injury biomechanics, human factors, helmet performance, and head/brain injury. My helmet testing methods have been peer-reviewed, published, and have survived Daubert challenge. In addition, I am a member of a materials testing society's committee on sports helmets. To date, I have provided expert opinion regarding helmet performance in approx. 30 cases. Over the past 20+ years, I have provided testimony by deposition on numerous occasions. DOT (FMVSS218) motorcycle helmet standards, as a minimum requirement for helmets sold for use in the United States, do not provide a performance requirement for the chin guard. However, other helmet standards do involve the chin guard. Furthermore, the impact velocity at which helmets are tested varies between helmet standards. Therefore, I would question which standards the subject helmet was certified to conform to, the answer to which would guide my analysis in this case.
About the author
Victoria Negron
Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.
Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.
Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.
