What do you do with motorcycle helmets after a motorcycle accident?

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.

Hello all,

Just wondering, what do you do with your patients' helmets when they come in by EMS to your emergency department after a motor cycle accident? We don't have a protocol on this, but unless the police need the helmet for evidence, I trash it. I do this because I was taught by several different trauma instructors at different facilities that after a person wearing a helmet has been involved in an accident, the shock absorbing padding in the helmet is no longer effective.

I've seen other nurses give the helmets back to the families, but I feel that if I do that the patient or other family member will reuse the now defective helmet, or sell it at a yard sale and set the next motorcyclist up for failure if they are involved in an accident.

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I agree with your policy of trashing them. Will be interesting to see how others answer.

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Depending on the extent of the trauma, I'd even wonder if they couldn't be considered a biohazard with who knows what all hung up on the inside....

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Specializes in Cardiovascular, ER.

I was told to trash them as well, just like car seats after an accident.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

ya i would say they're pretty much garbage after the accident.. & def. biohazard if there is blood/csf etc on it too.

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Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

In my facility it depended on the severity of the accident. If the helmet is cracked it went to the police, if the helmet was bloody it went into bio-hazard but if the helmet was intact and the patient was just road-rashed the helmet went home with them.

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The helmet is thier property and you actually have no right to trash it without their consent. I know that I would be ****** if you trashed one of my helmets. The things cost me over 300 bucks each. It is my choice what to do with them.

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Helmet manufacturer's want them back after they have been in an accident.

The ER I recently left stuck a sticker on them (explaining why they shouldn't be used) and gave them back. And I'd be pretty ticked if you threw away a piece of my property.

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.
The helmet is thier property and you actually have no right to trash it without their consent. I know that I would be ****** if you trashed one of my helmets. The things cost me over 300 bucks each. It is my choice what to do with them.

Helmet manufacturer's want them back after they have been in an accident.

The ER I recently left stuck a sticker on them (explaining why they shouldn't be used) and gave them back. And I'd be pretty ticked if you threw away a piece of my property.

Ok, I agree with these statements. These helmets are your property, but to play devils advocate here...

What about the clothes we cut off of you during a trauma?

Or the car door we tear apart extricating you?

:devil:

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Specializes in CCT.
Ok, I agree with these statements. These helmets are your property, but to play devils advocate here...

What about the clothes we cut off of you during a trauma?

Or the car door we tear apart extricating you?

:devil:

I got my clothes back after being a trauma alert patient. I also try to make sure anyone who I cut the clothes off of gets them back. The car door gets put with the vehicle, which usually becomes property of the insurance company after the settlement. You really don't have a right to trash their property, no matter what it is.

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I got my clothes back after being a trauma alert patient. I also try to make sure anyone who I cut the clothes off of gets them back. The car door gets put with the vehicle, which usually becomes property of the insurance company after the settlement. You really don't have a right to trash their property, no matter what it is.

I agree. Neither the hospital nor it's personnel have any legal right to dispose of any of the patient's property without their permission. If it's taken as evidence by the police, that has legal precedence. If you ask them and they tell you to dispose of it, fine - otherwise you give it back to them.

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Specializes in ER, Prehospital, Flight.

All the property of the pt goes back to them. We have no rules to keep anything other than illegal stuff.

A pt that is awake\alert or a family member gets the helmet speech. A helmet has a one time use. Technically, if a helmet is even dropped, it is no longer of any use as the integrity of the outer shell may be compromised. That also applies to minor scratches. The inner foam is compressed in even a minor accident making it also compromised.

I give the helmet back also for the reason that they may want it. I am an avid biker and have several old helmets hanging in my garage. Garage art is what I call it. (yes, I am strange!)

And....if I pull a car door off in an extrication, after the pt is out, the car door goes with, or in the car. All the pieces of the vehicle goes with it when it is towed away. Thats my experience Legz.

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