Buying presents at so many stores, putting up decorations all around the house, traveling near and far to visit relatives and friends- it’s undeniable that this is one of the busiest times of year, with Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah, New Year’s Eve, and many other celebrations right around the corner. However, this festive time of year is also one of the most dangerous times of the year to be driving on our nation’s roadways, purchasing items from congested stores, and visiting at people’s homes.
At The Eberst Law Firm we want to warn you about the potential perils that could await you during this holiday season so that you can make the most of your time with your loved ones without dealing with the stress caused by an auto accident, slip and fall, or other unfortunate accident. If you were involved in one of these situations, we would be honored to assist you in making your life whole again.
Driving is Risky during the Holiday Season
Holiday travel is more dangerous for several reasons: overcrowded roadways, drunk drivers, jam-packed cars making for more distracted driving, hazardous weather when driving, and more. Value Penguin lists Christmas as the 7th most deadly holiday for traveling by car, and they also list the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve as being one of the riskiest times of the year for driving. The website for Intoxalock, which is a handheld breathalyzer, states that, “700,000 people are injured or killed in drunk driving accidents each day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day”. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises that since 2014, there has been an average of 300 fatalities from drunk-driving crashes during the period from Christmas through New Year’s Eve.
Please review our blog post, “Holiday Road Trip Safety” to see how you and your family can travel safely during this potentially perilous time of year on America’s roadways. Our staff at The Eberst Law Firm wants to help make you more aware of the perils on our roadways during this hectic time of year so that you can be more alert, prepared, and ultimately, safe during your holiday travels.
Holiday Shopping and Dining can be Potentially Dangerous
The hustle and bustle of the holidays can sometimes contribute to a slip and fall or a trip and fall at a store or restaurant, with employees failing to prioritize cleaning and straightening as they are scrambling to stock the shelves or to wait on large parties at restaurants, to cash out anxious customers, and to address the concerns and questions of customers. The hazards are endless: spills can be unattended to, merchandise can be shoved into busy walkways, cords from lights can be exposed, unanchored Christmas trees can topple over at any time, and more. Unfortunately, many businesses fail to properly staff their stores with enough employees to address safety concerns, or they fail to make safety a priority at all, at the expense of the very customers that they are trying to please.
Please read our articles titled, “The Most Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents” & “Everything you need to know about Slip and Fall Injuries in Florida” to read more about slip and falls in Florida. At The Eberst Law Firm we would like to make you more aware of your surroundings this holiday season so that you don’t spend your holiday recovering from a traumatic injury.
Household Perils during the Holidays
We want to help ensure that you and your family have peace of mind knowing that your home is safe for the holidays. Below are some tips we have compiled to make your home more secure this holiday season:
- Extra people and clutter in the house can lead to the perfect recipe for a trip and fall or slip and fall. Be sure to keep walkways clear and unobstructed and wipe up spills as they occur. Also, pay special attention to making sure that cords are not exposed in walkways or high traffic areas, as they can be a serious trip hazard, or worse, the wiring can get damaged and pose a potential fire hazard risk.
- Purchase LED Christmas lights with a UL Listing Mark to minimize the chance of a fire hazard. Toss old lights, especially if they are from places like discount stores or drug stores, as newer LED lights comply with higher safety standards. Be sure to disconnect the lights when you are not home and when you are sleeping.
- Keep the wrapping from gifts, Christmas cards, and any other flammable items away from candles, fireplaces, and other heat sources as to avoid a potential fire hazard. Limit the number of candles that are lit in the household altogether, or if possible, switch to battery operated candles.
- Secure your Christmas tree with anchors. Pets, small children, or really anyone could be potentially harmed by a Christmas tree that isn’t secure. You may even wish to put a small gate around the tree if you have small children. Also, be sure to keep small children away from ornaments that could fall to the ground and be potential choking hazards.
- If you have a real Christmas tree, keep your tree well-watered so that it does not become a dried-out fire hazard. A dried-out Christmas tree surrounded with Christmas lights (especially if the lighting is subpar) can be an accident waiting to happen.
- Allow yourself plenty of time to cook Christmas dinner so that you minimize potential injuries from knives and will be less likely to make a mistake like leaving a burner on or forgetting to turn off the oven.
Consult with an Experienced Attorney for Holiday Injuries and Accidents
If you experienced a holiday accident or injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence, please call our office as soon as possible so that we can begin our investigation and put your mind at ease. You can call us at 772-225-4900 or contact us online. You deserve to spend your time getting better while we take care of every aspect of your claim to ensure that we can work on obtaining the highest settlement possible for you.
Sources for “Holiday Season Accidents and Injuries”
https://www.nhtsa.gov/es/drunk-driving/holiday-season-drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over
https://eberstlaw.com/holiday-road-trip-safety/
https://www.valuepenguin.com/most-dangerous-holidays-drive
https://www.intoxalock.com/blog/post/avoid-a-dui-this-holiday-season-infographic/
https://eberstlaw.com/slip-trip-and-fall/
https://eberstlaw.com/common-causes-slip-and-fall/
https://eberstlaw.com/slip-fall-injuries-florida/
