Defective Helmets: Your Legal Rights if Injured

Wearing a helmet is critical for both motorcyclists and bicyclists, who can otherwise suffer major brain injuries in a collision. However, anyone shopping for a helmet should ensure that it meets safety guidelines established by the Department of Transportation. South Carolina requires that motorcyclists under the age of 21 wear a helmet, but you must have a helmet that is designed properly. Unfortunately, we have seen several helmet recalls over the past couple of months due to various defects.

Recent Helmet Recalls & What to Do

Some of the most recent recalls involve the following Products:

• ProRider Bicycle recently recalled around 10,000 helmets on March 12, 2026, because the helmets did not comply with various requirements regarding labeling, certification, positional stability, and impact attenuation. Thankfully, there were no recorded injuries due to these defects. You are encouraged to return the product to the seller for a full refund.
• In February 2026, Todson recalled more than 40,000 of its helmets because they did not comply with the positional stability or retention system requirements. The helmets posed a real risk of failing in the event of a crash. These helmets were sold at Walmart, so they are very popular.
• Also in February 2026, SAMIT Youth recalled more than 3,000 of its popular multi-purpose helmets due to violation of certification and positional stability requirements. Consumers are encouraged to contact Samit Outdoor for a full refund and to destroy the helmets by cutting the straps off. That will prevent these defective products from entering the secondary market.

These three recalls all took place in the past couple of months. Unfortunately, defective helmets continue to enter the market, especially through online sellers. Only later do parents discover the product is recalled. We anticipate more dangerous helmets being recalled over the rest of the year.

Thankfully, no one was hurt due to these defective helmets, but that might not be the case going forward.

If you or a child suffered head injury, a product defect could be to blame. Make sure to keep your helmet, even if it cracked during the collision. Your legal team wants to inspect it to see if it failed to work properly.

People hurt by defective products can typically bring a product liability claim for compensation, including the costs of medical care and pain and suffering. These legal claims are hard to bring, however. You will need to prove the product failed to work as expected, and you typically need expert witness testimony to highlight the exact defect in the product. Give Snyder Heitman Injury Attorneys a call to speak with our office about any defective product that you believe has injured you.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Office

Our firm can hold manufacturers and other sellers responsible when they sell dangerous products. To learn more about whether you have a real case, call our office to schedule a consultation with a Greenville product liability lawyer at Snyder Heitman LLC. We also represent clients hurt by dangerous items in Spartanburg and Upstate South Carolina.

Source:

cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/ProRider-Recalls-Bicycle-Helmets-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Head-Injury-Violates-Mandatory-Standard-for-Bicycle-Helmets