Halloween can be a fun holiday for everyone. While you’re having fun trick-or-treating, going to parties, dressing up, or visiting haunted attractions, it is important to know the risk of Halloween injuries. In this blog, the Arizona personal injury attorneys at Lerner and Rowe suggest a few tips that can help keep you and your family safe and avoid frightful injuries.
Halloween Injury Statistics
- The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that an average of 3,200 Halloween-related injuries are treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments each year.
- The most common Halloween injuries include pumpkin carving (55%), falls (25%), and other injuries, including lacerations, ingestions, allergic reactions, and rashes (20%).
- Among the Halloween-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments over the past three years, 54% were adults aged 18 and over, 46% were children under 18, and about 10% were children aged 6 or younger.
- According to a Mayo Clinic orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon, Halloween is the fourth busiest holiday for hand injuries.
Tips to Avoid Halloween Injuries
Halloween Costume Safety
Halloween gives everyone the opportunity to dress as their favorite character, hero, or scary ghoul. When choosing your or your child’s costume, it is important to always keep safety in mind to help prevent Halloween injuries.
- Choose brightly colored costumes that can be seen in the dark.
- Add reflective tape to costumes or add glow stick necklaces or bracelets for additional visibility.
- Make sure costumes are well-fitted and are short enough to prevent slips, trips, and falls.
- Select costumes that are made from flame resistant materials to avoid burn injuries.
- Opt for non-toxic makeup or decorative hats instead of masks.
- If you or your child must use a mask, make sure it doesn’t limit your vision.
- Include emergency identification securely and discreetly within the costume or in a wrist bracelet
- Avoid carrying simulated weapons, like swords, knives and guns that could be mistaken as real.
Trick-or-Treating Safety
It is important to remind your children, no matter their age, about some trick-or-treating safety tips to help prevent Halloween injuries.
- Plan a trick-or-treat route with your children. If they are going off on their own, make sure to agree on a time when they are expected to be home.
- Arizona pedestrian accidents are a common occurrence on Halloween. To help prevent an accident, it’s best to stay in well-lit areas. Always walk on sidewalks and not on the streets. Don’t assume that drivers can see you, even if you have the right of way.
- Follow all traffic and pedestrian laws.This is the simplest and best way to prevent Halloween injuries and Arizona car accidents.
- Look both ways before crossing a street and cross at lights and crosswalks when possible.
- Always stay with a group.
- Never go into a stranger’s home or car.
- Don’t eat treats until they have been checked at home.
- Have children carry a phone if walking with friends instead of an adult
Pumpkin Carving Safety
A big part of Halloween is decorating and carving pumpkins, but it presents many dangers like cuts and burns.
- Use a pumpkin carving kit as it comes with a variety of tools designed specifically for carving pumpkins. Avoid using kitchen knives, as they are more likely to slip and cause an injury.
- Choose the right size pumpkin. One that is large or too heavy can be difficult to handle and increase the risk of accidents.
- Children should not be allowed to carve pumpkins on their own. Instead, let them help with tasks like drawing the design on the pumpkin and scooping out the seeds and pulp.
- Do not use a real candle. Choose a battery-operated light instead.
Haunted Attraction Safety
Haunted houses can be a lot of fun, but it is important to be aware of the potential for Halloween injuries when visiting these attractions.
- Follow all instructions given by the staff.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Haunted attractions are dark, so it is important to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Watch out for tripping hazards and other obstacles.
- Do not touch anything inside. Haunted attractions often use props and sets that are designed to look real, but may be fragile or dangerous.
Contact an Arizona Personal Injury Attorney
By following the tips outlined above, you can help prevent Halloween injuries. We hope you and your family have a safe and happy Halloween. In the event of an injury this Halloween caused by the negligence or recklessness of another, we can help. We offer a “no win, no fee” policy, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case. Our team has more than 240 years of combined legal experience, has a track record of recovering billions for our clients nationwide, and we are ready to help you win!
If you’ve been injured in an accident, chat with a live representative, call 602-977-1900, or submit a free online case review form.