Here Are The 7 Most Common Florida Personal Injuries During The Holidays
Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. It is a time to celebrate with family and friends, to gather with them, to delight in buying presents, and to take joy in wrapping them. If you are like most people, you are quite busy during the holiday season. You must travel from place to place to buy gifts, food, and other items you will need for the festivities. You will also take the time to see old friends and new ones and have drinks and dinner together before the big day arrives.
Nearly everyone is in a buzz of activity and excitement during this time, which does increase the risk of accidents. Here are some of the most common Florida personal injuries and accidents during the holiday season:
1. Pedestrian and driving accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, October, November, and December account for nearly 40% of pedestrian accidents. Driving accidents are also high this time of year. Thanksgiving weekend alone accounts for 35 vehicle deaths and 2,300 vehicle injuries.
A range of factors come together to make such accident injuries and deaths inevitable. Road conditions are worse in the winter and highway visibility is worse owing to shorter daylight hours. People spend more time on the streets and highways in search of holiday food and gifts in long-distance travel.
2. Back injuries
A great deal of work goes into making preparations for Christmas. You must find a holiday tree, haul it back home, and decorate it. Holiday lights must be hung inside and outside of your home. And if you are especially keen to turn your place into a winter wonderland, you may buy extra props and decorations to mark the season. All the lifting, pulling, kneeling, and stretching can lead to a serious back injury if you are not careful. Of all the Florida personal injuries, a back injury is the worst to have over the holidays, as it will make you immobile for the most festive time of year.
3. Mall accidents
There are two especially dangerous periods during the holiday season: Black Friday and the last few days before Christmas. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, consumers rush to malls throughout the country to get great deals on things they want to buy for Christmas. This often leads to unruly crowds and stampedes of people hurrying through retail stores. Black Friday was more moderate and muted this year because of the COVID-19 crisis. However, the final days leading up to Christmas are likely to see people aggressively searching for last-minute holiday items.
Mall accidents are also caused by slippery sidewalks outside of these shops. There is also a spike in injuries related to shopping carts. Busy consumers often leave the carts they used in unsecured places, which can lead to pedestrian and driving accidents. These are among the most common Florida personal injuries over the holiday season.
4. Falling decorations
This is more common than most people think. And although most decorations are made of light material, the collapse of a larger and more intricate structure can cause serious harm. If you are stuck at home with your family this year because of the Coronavirus, it may be your intention to put up extra decorations or even experiment with new designs and new ways of hanging your trinkets.
You should know that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that falling decorations lead to more than 12,000 ER visits each year owing to falls, cuts, and electric shock.
Children are most vulnerable to these types of injuries. Their curiosity about Christmas decorations leads them to explore items in a way that is not safe. You should avoid buying any sharp or breakable decorations and keep anything that will choke a small child out of reach.
5. Burn injuries Are One Of The Most Common Florida Personal Injuries
Good food in large quantities is part of the holiday tradition. Preparing large meals on multiple occasions will put you in constant contact with the fire of your stove and the intense heat of your oven. You will at any given time have to juggle the cooking of turkey, chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, candy yams, and other holiday favorites. You should always use mitts for handling hot pots, trays, and platters.
The risk of burn is not limited to the preparation and serving of food. Burns and fires related to holiday trees are not uncommon. If you place a holiday tree next to a burning fireplace or furnace, you increase the risk of setting it ablaze. That is why you should choose real Christmas trees whose branches have been dried out or fake trees with a label that confirms that it is non-flammable. The matter must be taken seriously. Holiday fires kill more than 400 people each year and cause injury to more than 1,600.
6. Unwrapping injuries
Nearly everyone has felt the phenomenon known as wrapping rage. There is always that one gift that seems impossible to open; the one gift that is so tightly bound in plastic that it is impervious even to scissors. The frustration of trying to open certain gifts can lead to injury. A recent study found that 6,500 Americans go to the hospital each year trying to open gifts.
The excitement of Christmas morning can be overwhelming. If you have received a holiday gift that was exactly what you wanted, you will waste no time trying to open it. It may not yield straightaway. But it is better to move on to the next gift rather than risk a sprain or cut trying to force it open.
7. Distracted driving
This is a big one. Distracted driving accounts for a large portion of Florida’s personal injuries over the holidays.
It has become easier to drive while speaking on the phone and reading and sending text messages. You can now attach your smartphone to your dashboard so that you can keep both hands free for driving. But this does not make using your phone while driving any less distracting.
As you rush about from place to place over the holidays, you will at times need to speak and sent messages to family and friends. However, no such communication is worth your health and well-being. You put yourself and others at risk when you use your smartphone and engage in intense conversation with passengers while driving. Roads are especially dangerous during the holidays because of the weather, the shortened hours of daylight, and the propensity for people to drive aggressively. You need to keep your focus on the road and your mind on what is going on around you.
Hold Careless People Accountable Through a Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injuries during the holidays stem from many causes. If you have suffered an injury caused by the carelessness or recklessness of another person, then you should hold them accountable. You should hire a personal injury lawyer to help you build a case.
A serious injury can put you on your back for some time. You will have medical bills to pay and you will not be able to earn money until you have recovered. A lawyer will help you gather the evidence necessary to prove that you were injured in the accident, that the accident was caused by the action or inaction of another person, and that you are owed a certain amount of money in damages.
Most personal injury lawsuits do not go to trial. An experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to negotiate a settlement that will enable you to cover the cost of your medical expenses and give you enough to rebuild your life.
If you have suffered personal injuries during the holidays, you should contact a lawyer.
