The holiday season is a joyful time of the year, but it is never without its fair share of personal holiday injuries. During the winter months in the Midwest, we experience cooler temperatures, shorter days and frequent bouts of inclement weather. All of these factors have the potential to increase automobile and trucking accidents, slips and falls, and other personal injuries related to cooking and outdoor activities.
While many of these are avoidable, there are instances when they can occur due to another’s negligence. Our personal injury attorneys are here to offer six holiday injury prevention tips that can help you stay safe during the holiday season.
Common Accidents Leading to Holiday Injuries
Getting hurt during the holidays is not on anyone’s to-do list, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Personal injuries commonly occur due to the negligence of someone else such as another driver, a local business or a manufacturer. As St. Louis personal injury attorneys, we commonly see the following situations lead to holiday injuries:
- Holiday decoration injuries such as falling off a ladder or roof;
- Burn injuries from cooking or outdoor fire pits;
- Driving while intoxicated or distracted;
- Sledding injuries;
- Slip and falls from ice or snow; or
- Weather-related car or trucking accidents.
If you were injured in one of these situations due to someone else’s negligence or a poorly manufactured product, you may have a viable personal injury case. A personal injury attorney will be able to help you collect the evidence you need in order to properly file and prove your holiday injury case in Missouri.
6 Tips to Prevent Holiday Injuries
As you hang your decorations, plan holiday meals and enjoy the joys of the season, our attorneys share six precautions that you can take to keep yourself and your family safe from a holiday injury this season.
- Decorate before sundown. When December hits, shorter days limit the amount of daylight you and your family will have to put up outdoor decorations. The dropping evening temperatures may also create spots of ice if there was recent precipitation. If you are working on the roof, put up the lights before sundown and inspect all your equipment and surroundings before embarking on your decorating plans.
- Check the Oven. Holiday cooking fires account for nearly half of the 360,800 home fires every year. Keep a close eye on the stovetop, oven, grills or other outdoor fire pits to keep family members and visitors safe from burn injuries.
- Wear bright clothing. If you exercise in the early morning or late in the evening, make sure to wear bright clothing and follow all pedestrian safety signals on your walks and runs.
- Eyes on the road. Holiday lights are beautiful, yet extremely distracting while driving. Whether you are driving through a holiday light show in St. Louis or driving to your next destination, keep your eyes on the road rather than on the holiday lights to prevent holiday injuries.
- Designate a driver. If you plan to drink alcohol at your holiday party, plan for a designated driver or call for a ride service to keep yourself and others safe from an auto accident.
- Give room on the road in inclement weather. No matter what size vehicle you have, icy or slick road conditions require more time to slow and stop your vehicle in inclement weather. In addition, truck drivers need even more stopping distance depending on the amount of cargo they are carrying. Giving adequate room for unexpected traffic stops may be the difference between a safe drive home or a serious holiday injury.
Celebrate the Holidays Safely!
No matter when you experience an unforeseen injury, we know it can be difficult to navigate the next steps — especially if it happens during the holiday season. Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to help you through your personal injury. If you obtained a holiday personal injury due to another’s negligence, reach out to our team at MHM for a free consultation.