The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates there are approximately 15,000 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms nationally between November and December that involve holiday decorating. That figure has been steadily rising over the last several years. It works out to approximately 250 unintentional injuries every day during the holiday season. Holiday movies may make mishaps such as stepping on broken ornaments or falling off a ladder seem funny, but the reality of these injuries is anything but amusing.
The most common holiday decorating injuries include:
Liability for these types of incidents will depend on whether the injury involves:
The ESFI survey indicated more than 63 percent of respondents use one or more extension cord while decorating for the holidays and 60 percent fail to inspect those cords. More than half of respondents said they don’t turn off outdoor lighted decorations when they leave home and a third leave them on when they go to bed.This can be a serious fire hazard.
So too are Christmas trees. The U.S. CPSC recommends when it comes to trees:
And when it comes to decorating the tree, make sure to use caution when placing the top ornaments. Make sure to heed the warning labels on the ladders. Check out these Ladder Safety 101 tips. Keep small (possible choking hazard) decorations out-of-reach of children and take special care with sharp, weighted or breakable decorations.
If you or someone you love is injured in the course of decorating or in the midst of a holiday gathering, it may be worthwhile to consult with an injury attorney to determine whether you may have grounds to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
If you have been injured in Miami, call Chalik & Chalik at (954) 476-1000 or 1 (800) 873-9040.
Additional Resources:
‘Tis the Season to Decorate Safely, Dec. 5, 2016, CPSC
More Blog Entries:
Third-Party Liability for Distracted Driving Accidents? Dec. 10, 2016, Personal Injury Attorney Blog
The post Holiday Decorating Poses Risk of Personal Injury in Falls, Fires and More first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>