For many people, the end of the year is full of joyous festivities, family, and friends. Unfortunately, your sweet celebrations have the potential to sour with the opening of a single gift. Being mindful of holiday injury prevention practices is essential and starts at home.
From being able to quickly spot defective products, to ensuring nobody at your party drives home drunk, to identifying unexpected toxic materials, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the risks that surround you during this time of the year. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys has assembled a guide of best practices to maximize your family’s holiday injury prevention.
New Toys, New Injuries
New toys can introduce new dangers into the home. Know what toys to buy and what situations to avoid to help ensure that your children are safe in the months to follow.
Toy Choking Hazards
One of the best parts of the holiday season is the chance for adults to shower their children with gifts. Of course, many of those gifts are toys. As you invite friends and family to your home, remember that they may not be familiar with age-appropriate gifts. This is where choking hazards come in. While this is, of course, unintentional on their part, it is still a serious threat. You can help prevent choking by monitoring the gifts your children receive.
Do this by first looking out for toys with small parts that can pose choking hazards for children younger than three. These can include small balls, broken or deflated balloons, and button batteries. Only after inspecting a child’s new toys should you allow them to play.
HOLIDAY INJURY PREVENTION TIP: Always avoid batteries when possible, as multiple batteries have the potential to connect internally when swallowed. Magnets are another thing to avoid. Either can cause injury if swallowed.
Unexpected Toy Injuries
Some toys are inherently dangerous, like riding toys. Other toys have less obvious, hidden dangers. Pay attention to the assembly, construction and durability of a specific toy. Also, search for pinch points, sharp edges, or pieces that pose choking hazards. Carefully inspecting your children’s gifts before letting them play goes a long way towards holiday injury prevention.
Thankfully, many toys have age guidelines printed on the packaging. Don’t fully rely on these, however. If you have any doubts about a toy’s safety, don’t allow your child to play with it. Trust your instincts and use supervision as a tool for your child’s safety.
Even more safety guidelines to know are below, in addition to this list of hidden toy dangers:
Make sure that toys including fabric components are fire resistant throughout, especially when it comes to that fabric.
Look for “non-toxic” labeling and avoid nasty chemicals on certain toys and art supplies.
Painted toys and toy jewelry sometimes contains lead.
Look out for ribbons or strings 12 inches or more in length. Supervise your children so these do not end up wrapped around their necks.
Double check electronic toys for wiring or battery issues that could cause burns.
Defective Toys
While a fun new toy is intended to bring your child joy, sometimes the fun ends too soon. As a parent, you never want a defective toy to cause your child to tear up in pain. If a company sells a product that has the potential to harm, that company has breached the buying public’s trust. This breach of trust has the potential to kickstart legal action. When a defect does leads to a severe injury, you may want to hire a defective product lawyer.
Breach of Warranty
There is also a possibility that the toy manufacturer breached its warranty. Warranties are either implied or expressed fully in sales contracts.These warranties state what the product is and how it will work.
A breach of this warranty could prove that the product was defective before it even hit the stores. It’s difficult to navigate; the strict liability claim may only hold up if the defect directly caused the injury. Certainly, you will want your personal injury attorneys to help you navigate these difficult cases.
Personal injury lawsuits are complicated. The complications worsen when a defective product causes the injury. A product liability lawyer can help you seek damages from a toy manufacturer or other negligent parties.
How a Product Liability Lawyer at Lerner & Rowe Can Help
Do you suspect any party involved in the design or sale of a product to have contributed to your injury? Perhaps they could have taken action to prevent or reduce the extent of your injury. If so, you need an experienced product liability lawyer on your side.
A liability lawyer can fight to help identify the specific flaw(s) in the product that caused your injury. They can also help pinpoint design defects that occurred during the entirety of the production process. This includes defects that happened prior to production, manufacturing defects that occurred during production, and defects in marketing. Your personal injury attorney could help you win compensation to cover the cost of:
Related injuries
Pain and suffering
Lost earnings
Other damages
At Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, our product liability lawyers have the skill, experience, and knowledge to handle product liability and defective product injury claims. Our team is prepared to work hard to win your case. If found guilty, the manufacturer or seller may be found liable. If so, they could then be held responsible for paying compensation for any injuries or losses.
HOLIDAY INJURY PREVENTION RESOURCE: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) closely monitors and regulates toys to help ensure your child’s safety. You can keep up to date on product recalls by visiting their website or calling 800-638-CPSC. You can also report unsafe products through these outlets.
Silver and Gold? More like Slivers and Cold.
When the holidays arrive, no doubt you get the decorating itch. It’s time to decorate a house, bring in a tree, or make your space special in your own way. While decorating for the holidays is family tradition, there are risks with some holiday decorations.
Be alert to some of the following holiday decorations that could be particularly dangerous and may cause an injury.
Christmas Trees
Christmas trees pose many unforeseen risks. Not only do they present a fire hazard, but they are often poorly balanced and structurally unsound. Check out these risks different kinds of Christmas trees bring into the home.
All Christmas Trees
First, ensure that you place your tree on flat, sturdy ground. You do not want a tug from a pet or child sending it falling to the ground. This is especially important for the smaller members of the family, that can be injured by a tree falling on them.
Finally, keep all decorations far away from candles and other sources of open flames. This could set the tree on fire. The heat will also dry out the tree. Radiators, fireplaces, or air ducts can also contribute to heat risks around your tree.
Artificial Trees
Your artificial Christmas tree may not be fully fire resistant. You can check this by looking for the tag. If your tree is not fire resistant, or the tag or packaging is gone, we suggest you either buy another tree or ensure lights are lit only under supervision.
Real Trees
Many people love the smell and feel of having a cut tree in their home. Make sure to check the tree’s water level often so that it does not dry out. Dry trees pose a very high fire risk, especially with lights and other electronic decor involved.
Ornaments
Speaking of children and pets, keep ornament dangers in mind. The last thing you want is for them to eat pieces of a shattered ornament that has fallen. Or, to swallow a small ornament directly off the tree. To help prevent this from occurring, do not hang fragile or miniscule decorations from the tree or anywhere else in the home.
PLUS ONE: You shouldn’t place ornaments that resemble candy or food on the tree, as your little ones might mistake them for actual treats.
PLUS TWO: Keep paper ornaments away from lights, and stick to trimmings that are flame-resistant and non-leaded.
Fake Snow
Want some authentic looking weather around your home to bring in that holiday feel? Use fake snow in limited amounts. Fake snow can add a cozy element to your home. However, improper use has the potential to irritate the lungs. Additionally, be careful when handling pressurized cans, and follow the instructions printed on the product.
Everything You Should Know About Exterior (and Interior) Illumination
Take a close look at your indoor and outdoor lights at the start of the holiday season. Beautiful, colorful holiday lights are certainly a fun way to illuminate your space and spread holiday cheer. However, they must be used carefully. Look for frayed, loose, or broken wires. Even a single broken bulb or cracked socket can spark a fire. Damaged light sets should be repaired correctly or discarded.
Additionally, the lights you use outdoors must be securely connected to something sturdy, such as the exterior wall or edge of a house or fence. This will keep them from blowing in the strong winter wind and damaging nearby property. Also, limit three sets of lights to an extension cord, and do not plug too many into one outlet. Finally, always turn the lights off when you go to bed or leave your home.
Electric and Traditional Candles
Everyone loves a beautiful holiday candle. The lights and smells can send you back to your happy holiday memories. However, any candle, whether electric or wax, should never be left unattended. Never place them near flammable objects such trees, decorations, wrapping paper, and other decor.
Furthermore, remember to position candles in a space where they can’t be blown over or knocked down. Also, keep them out of reach of your little ones; this includes pets and children. Finally, ensure any candle holder you use will not catch fire as well.
Personal Injury Attorneys and Holiday Decoration Injuries
If you or someone you love is injured by a defective decoration or another’s negligent lighting, be sure to call our personal injury attorneys. Your decoration-related injury may fall under a defective products claim. Or, someone else could be held responsible in a personal injury claim. To protect your rights and help you recover the damages you may deserve, contact us anytime.
Holiday Road Horrors
Did you know that the holidays are some of the most dangerous days for road travel? The Christmas and New Year’s Eve/Day holidays are extremely dangerous for travelers. Being vigilant and driving cautiously are vital facets of holiday injury prevention. For additional tips, check out the infographic below.
What Makes Road Travel So Dangerous During the Holidays
The holidays tend to knock people off their normal schedules. These schedule changes range from work changes to nutrition changes. For example, people off from work may consume abnormal amounts of alcohol or other substances. They may then drive drunk, high, or buzzed. An impaired driver can wreak havoc, even if your family has a thorough holiday injury prevention plan.
OTHER DANGER ZONES: Parking lots are another danger zone during the holidays. There is always the risk of falling on slick surfaces or being hit by a distracted driver. Additionally, drivers may become aggressive trying to get the perfect spot when in parking lots, especially in shopping malls. Be extra cautious and keep an eye out for children and other pedestrians walking with you.
I Don’t Want to Just Sit At Home! What Should I Do?
Of course, you won’t want to just stay home for the entire holiday season! There is a good chance you will have to drive on one of the more dangerous travel days. But there is no need to fear. If you suffer from any sort of accident while traveling, reach out to an accident attorney at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys for assistance.
Other Important Holiday Risks
Our personal injury attorneys want to make sure that this, and every holiday season in your future, is void of any of the previously stated dangers that could result in tragedy. So far, we have covered toys and defective products, decoration dangers, and road risks. Here are THREE more important risks to keep to help you maximize your family’s holiday injury prevention practices.
Accidental Burn Injuries
Burns are one of the most horrific and tragic of all injuries. They are extremely painful, and they can cause permanent damage to your skin and nerves. We already spoke a little of the fire danger when it comes to holiday decoration lights.
However, during the holidays, you are probably cooking more and using the fireplace more frequently. Both pose a great threat to children and adults alike, especially if neither are normal activities in your household. Give your family a refresher course about fire safety ahead of time, as many house fires are started from deep-fried turkeys and faulty wiring.
Choking on Food
In addition to burn-related injuries, food can also pose a choking risk. During a family holiday party, you may not be supervising your child as much as normal. They could grab a grape or olive and begin to choke. Adults may be talking while chewing or eating something they are not used to. Again, refresh your family on what to do. Teach them the heimlich maneuver by using videos like this one.
Slipping on Slick Surfaces
Slipping and falling on any slick or slippery surface can cause not only severe embarrassment but also possibly serious injuries. When walking around this winter, be sure to step intentionally and slowly. Watch where you are going and take small steps. If you do slip and fall, especially on public property, take note of what is around you. Use your phone to take photos or video of the area to document your fall. If the property owner was negligent about clearing snow, ice, or water from their sidewalk or entryway, they could be liable for your injuries.
Yes, there are a number of factors when it comes to slip and fall lawsuits. That is why you need a highly skilled slip-and-fall legal team to help you with your liability case. Thankfully, you know that you can call the personal injury attorneys at Lerner and Rowe 24/7. Use our LiveChat feature to receive your completely free consultation.
Contact Us When Holiday Injury Prevention Fails
From toys to sidewalks, there are an amazing amount of risks this holiday season. Don’t blame yourself for an injury that wasn’t your fault. If you believe someone else is responsible for your injury in any way, contact our personal injury attorneys right now. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys stand at the ready for you! We will work to ensure you receive just compensation.
Take full advantage of your legal options now. We offer entirely free consultations before you begin your journey with us. We are also available 24/7. Reach us by calling 844-977-1900 or through our convenient LiveChat feature. You can also get in touch with us via an online form. We are ready and willing to handle your personal injury case. Call us today!
The information on this blog is for general information purposes only. Nothing herein should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
