Holidays should be enjoyable. Individuals love to celebrate with friends and family when holiday seasons roll around, but they need to do so safely. Unfortunately, holidays are also when many injuries occur. Here, we want to discuss some of the most common holiday injuries as well as some basic safety tips that you should keep in mind to keep yourself and your family members safe.
Falls While Putting Up Decorations
Decorations are an integral part of holidays here in the United States. Whether we are talking about Christmas, New Year, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday, all too often, we find ourselves on ladders or on roofs to get the decorations up.
We strongly encourage any person putting up holiday decorations inside or outside of their houses to take proper safety precautions. This includes having someone hold the bottom of a ladder for you, wearing appropriate safety harnesses attached to strong support if working from heights, and testing decorations before you get them to the desired locations. You should only use the proper tools needed to get these decorations in place.
Burns Related to Cooking or Accidental Fires
The holidays are known for cooking. Families and friends get together to make big meals so everybody can enjoy time with one another around the table. Unfortunately, burns caused by cooking-related accidents are not uncommon. Additionally, individuals love to light candles around the holidays to get the house looking and smelling right.
There are various ways that you can avoid burns caused by cooking-related incidents and fires. First, be careful with those deep turkey fryers. You need to put the deep fryer in the middle of a yard away from any type of flammable material before putting the bird in. Make sure that all heat sources are continuously monitored by somebody “sober” at the gathering. We strongly recommend not lighting any candles if there will be a crowd at your house.
Drunk Driving Incidents
Information from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shows that crashes increase during the holiday periods due to the increased volume of traffic on the roadway. Additionally, holidays are also when there are more intoxicated drivers on the roadways. The most dangerous holidays for vehicle crashes and fatalities include Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. However, these particular days are not the only dangerous ones. The days right before and after these holidays also see an increase in traffic crashes and fatalities.
Under no circumstances should you drink and drive. If you have to go out on the roadways during the holidays, particularly in the evenings, practice defensive driving and steer clear of unsafe drivers.
Holiday Sports Accidents
The holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day, are when friends and family members decide to get together for large sports gatherings. Unfortunately, Uncle Bob and Aunt Deb may not be the most athletic, and it is not uncommon for individuals who have not participated in much physical activity to sustain severe injuries during these events. We encourage you to keep the family sports activities fairly light, or at least make sure that you set aside some time for light physical activity away from vigorous physical activity.
Toy Injuries
Unfortunately, children often sustain injuries as a result of new toys that they receive during the holiday season. This is primarily around Christmas time, but of course, toy-giving also happens during Hanukkah, Halloween, birthdays, New Years, and even the Fourth of July. It is very important for parents to be aware of the toys they are buying for their kids and the hazards associated with these toys. Parents should only buy toys that are manufactured for the appropriate age range of their children.
If you or a loved one suffered a related injury that may have been due to the negligence of another, reach out to one of our skilled Philadelphia accident attorneys today