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Avoiding Common Holiday Injuries

The holidays are supposed to be a time for cheer, happiness, and family- and spending it in the emergency room can put a huge damper on everything. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a peak time for household injuries. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 18,400 reported injuries in 2018 alone sustained by people who were trying to decorate for the holidays. The majority of these injuries involved falls, typically while hanging decorations like lights from trees or roofs. Below we have some tips for staying safe and avoiding injury while partying and decorating for the holidays. 

Tips For Staying Safe During the Holiday Season

Thanks to the abundance of activity and festivities, injuries are common during this time of year. Here are some tips to stay safe so you can have fun:

  • Travel safely: Around 84,000 people every year are treated for luggage-related injuries. When traveling, try to pack as lightly as possible and avoid lifting with your back. Lift with your legs! Distribute the weight of book bags evenly, and try to carry duffel bags on your dominant shoulder since it’s stronger.
  • Be careful with ladders: Around 566,000 Americans are injured in ladder fall accidents annually, with injuries clustering around the holidays. Before hanging lights, make sure to inspect your ladder for potential loose hinges, rungs, or screws. Place your ladder on level ground, and never overreach. 
  • Don’t get distracted: While walking around may seem like the safest thing in the world, if you’re distracted by planning a party or in a hurry to get to your family dinner, it raises your chances for an injury. Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially if it’s dark. If you need to make a phone call or text, try to do away from potential motor vehicle traffic and away from pedestrian traffic flow. If you’re walking with headphones, ensure you can still hear what’s going on around you. 
  • Pick the right tree: If you decide to purchase a live Christmas tree, get one that is fresh, green, and well-watered to reduce the risk of it catching on fire. If you buy an artificial tree, make sure it has a “fire-resistant” label. This doesn’t guarantee the tree won’t burn, but it will be more resistant to heat. Check your smoke alarms, and keep your tree away from major heat sources like open fires, large candles, or space heaters. 
  • Don’t drink and drive: This is something we should be doing year-round, but be especially cognizant during the holidays. 40 percent of traffic-related deaths between Christmas and New Year’s Day involve drunk driving, which is significantly higher than for the rest of December.

Contact Us Today

BCN Law Firm wishes everybody a happy and safe holiday season with their loved ones. The best holiday times are safe ones, so be aware of safety rules when having a good time. If you are injured, your health insurance may be able to cover some of these injuries. If somebody else’s negligence was at least partly to blame for the incident, you may want to call an experienced personal injury attorney from BCN Law Firm to establish your next steps. Call BCN Law Firm for a consultation today.