On Tuesday, NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was upgraded to fair condition at Pittsburgh's Mercy Hospital.  The extent of his injuries is now known.  Roethlisberger lost two teeth and chipped others, suffered a concussion, a broken upper and lower jaw, a broken nose, broken facial bone, a 9 inch laceration to the back of his head, and road rash injuries to his knees which thankfully do not extend to the joints.  Police confirmed that Roethlisberger was riding without a helmet and additionally, did not have a Pennsylvania motorcycle license; he had a learner's permit, which expired March 29, 2006.  Given this fact, Roethlisberger was in fact legally obligated to wear a helmet in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Steelers officials and Roethlisberger's agent, Leigh Steinberg, confirmed that Ben had received a letter last year from team representatives warning him that parts of his contract might be affected if he were to be injured while riding a motorcycle.  The letter was apparently sent in order to both put the team on solid legal footing were a major accident to occur, and apprise Ben of the risks he is taking by riding a motorcycle.
Records kept by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation indicate that 180 helmet-wearing motorcyclists died in wrecks in 2004 and 2005 in Pennsylvania. In the same period, 157 helmet-free bikers died in wrecks.
Pennsylvania's 35-year-old law requiring helmets to be worn was amended in 2003 to make helmets optional under certain circumstances.  According to the amended law, a motorcyclist will no longer be required to wear a helmet if the rider is:
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Roethlisberger upgraded to fair condition