Holiday Accidents: Being Cautious of Fireworks and Drunk Drivers
by Amber Cortez | December 29th, 2015 | Blog, General
The New Year can bring many great blessings and opportunities; however, the possibility of danger can also arise with the chaos of the holiday. Many personal injuries, such as burns from firework accidents and drunk driving crashes, occur during this period.
If you find yourself in this situation, we can help get the compensation you deserve.
Accidents and Injuries
Many people are under the impression that accidents only happen with recklessness. However, statistics from the 2014 Fireworks Report from the CPSC for Global Research show there were an estimated 1,400 emergency department-treated injuries associated with sparklers and another 100 with bottle rockets.
Sparklers and bottle rockets are easier to use, yet pose just as much danger as larger explosives. Another alarming statistic from the report stated that children ages five to nine years had the highest estimated rate of fireworks-related injuries. 54% of the emergency department-treated injuries were burns.
There are a few precautions that can prevent accidents from happening:
- Keep a watering hose or bucket of water nearby
- Make sure fireworks are legal in your area
- Always have an adult supervise firework activities
- Never allow children under 12 to ignite fireworks alone
- Stay clear after igniting a firework
- Never try to relight or pick up fireworks that have not ignited
- Never point or throw fireworks at others
- Never ignite fireworks in enclosed containers
Drunk Driving Report
Perhaps more dangerous than explosives is drunk drivers on the road. The most alarming statistic comes from Life Tips Organization who reported, “One person is killed every half-hour due to drunk driving, and alcohol is a factor in almost half of all traffic fatalities.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the past 10 years, 41% of deaths that occurred around New Year’s were due to alcohol-impaired drivers. 830 lives were lost in 2015 alone.
Take a cab home, call an Uber driver, leave your car wherever you are and get a ride, designate a sober driver or drink and stay home.
Call Our Attorney
If you’ve experienced an unfortunate firework accident or have been the victim of a drunk driving car crash, contact our McAllen personal injury lawyer today to begin the necessary steps for your case.
