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Archive for November, 2022

Holiday Decorating Can Result in Injuries

Posted on: November 27th, 2022 by Marcel Colon
Have fun this holiday season, and stay safe and healthy!

Have fun this holiday season, and stay safe and healthy!

Following Halloween, the Christmas season officially starts on November 1st. People start decorating for the holidays from Thanksgiving through to Christmas and New Year’s. To celebrate this joyous season, Christmas trees are set up, wreaths are hung, yard decorations are placed, lights are strewn over the house and landscape, and menorahs are lit. Exercising caution can help prevent common injuries, but decorating has hidden risks that should be considered.

Rushing to Get Things Done Takes a Toll

Almost everyone finds the holiday season the busiest time of year. People are rushing to complete work assignments before the end of the year while also balancing holiday shopping, event planning, family visits, decorating, baking, and a host of other activities. Some people rush through their decorating as quickly as possible due to a lack of time. However, decorating in a hurry can result in shortcuts and safety risks, resulting in minor or serious injury.

Keep Safety in Mind When Decorating

Christmas lights are a popular Christmas tradition, but they also present a very real risk to people’s health and safety. Plugging in lights that are old or with frayed wires can result in electrical shorts that can start house fires or cause serious injury from electrocution. To avoid a short circuit, never connect more than 210 watts worth of light strings at once.  These are less obvious safety precautions to follow, but they can help you stay safe throughout the holidays.

While candles are a common year-round home decoration, they are also popular for the holidays. It takes only a heartbeat for a candle placed next to a dry Christmas tree to become a catastrophe. Blow out candles before leaving the room and keep them away from the Christmas tree and anything combustible. In November and December of each year from 2016 to 2018, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that there were approximately 100 Christmas tree fires and approximately 1,100 candle fires. This led to 30 fatalities, 180 injuries, and annual property losses of around $56 million. While one may believe they won’t experience this, it is wise to rule out any possibilities. Water the tree frequently to prevent drying out and creating a fire hazard. Do not leave a menorah burning unattended if you celebrate Hanukkah. To prevent it from tipping over, place the menorah on a strong surface. Candles and menorahs should be kept out of pets’ and kids’ reach. A house fire caused by a candle or decoration is one of the worst things that could happen.

Unfortunately, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 18,000 Americans are treated in emergency rooms each year for injuries brought on by Christmas decorations. Decorating-related lacerations, strains and sprains, fractures, contusions and abrasions, and ingestion were the most frequent injuries seen in the emergency room. Be careful when decorating your home this year to avoid going to the emergency room for any reason.

Do You Need Help?

Holiday decorating should be a joyful family activity that gets everyone in the holiday spirit. Please keep these helpful decorating suggestions in mind to avoid any serious injury during the holidays this year. While we hope this never happens, if you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or a defective product, please contact Cunnane Law. Our personal injury lawyers are here to assist you with your case and provide free consultations.

Note: This information was provided not for any specific claim and is written in broad and general terms and may not be the right path to follow for a particular claim or case. This information is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. It is always best to receive direct legal counsel for your legal issues. It is never too early to call the attorney, but it can be too late.

Accidents on Thanksgiving Day

Posted on: November 21st, 2022 by Marcel Colon
Having an accident on Thanksgiving can make it a very unhappy holiday.

Having an accident on Thanksgiving can make it a very unhappy holiday.

Thanksgiving Day has been a celebrated family holiday across the nation ever since it was declared a public holiday in 1817. Thanksgiving is a day for getting together with family and friends. It is a time when we are all encouraged to give thanks for what we have and count our blessings. Sadly, Thanksgiving Day tops New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July, and St. Patrick’s Day as the deadliest day of the year. According to research, Thanksgiving Day is the holiday with the highest number of fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.

Slip and Fall Accidents on Thanksgiving Day

The hustle and bustle leading up to Thanksgiving Day and during the holiday weekend has an impact on more than just the traffic. You can anticipate more people walking through malls, grocery stores, and their parking lots and sidewalks.

The likelihood of shop assistants being busier with customers and having less time to search for potential risks, is increased in overcrowded shopping centers. Spills, debris, and other dangers probably won’t get cleaned up as soon as they would on a typical shopping day, even if these problems are brought to the employees’ notice. The same goes for potential dangers outside the business, in the parking lot, and on the walkways.

Car Accidents on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is the deadliest holiday of the year due to motor vehicle accident fatalities, so it’s important to understand why this is the case and what we can do to help keep our loved ones and ourselves safe this holiday season. According to the National Safety Council, fatal motor vehicle accidents on Thanksgiving Day 2021 were forecast to claim the lives of 515 Americans. The following is a list of some of the factors that Thanksgiving Day dangers include:

  1. Alcohol: Sharing festive drinks at the Thanksgiving dinner table with loved ones can be a fun way to relax and catch up. The risk arises when family members consume a bit more alcohol than they should, then grab their keys and try to drive home. To prevent you and your loved ones from being involved in a drunk driving accident this holiday season, try your best to persuade family members to find alternative transportation if they consume more alcohol than they anticipated.
  2. Fatigue: After Thanksgiving dinner, drowsiness is common. The fatigue we feel on Thanksgiving Day might impair our ability to stay awake while driving, perhaps leading to a devastating motor vehicle accident.
  3. Traffic: The likelihood of a car accident increases significantly on Thanksgiving Day due to the congested roads. Use extreme caution if you must travel. It would be best if you give yourself plenty of time as well because the increased traffic could probably cause delays.
  4. Weather: Winter weather usually shows up around Thanksgiving Day. Even though driving in winter weather is something that many of us are accustomed to, it still tends to surprise a lot of people when it first appears.

Kitchen Accidents on Thanksgiving Day

A Thanksgiving Day article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the kitchen. In addition to injuries like burns, wounds, falls, muscular strains, and smoke inhalation, it has been established that Thanksgiving Day sees the most cooking-related fires of the year.

Were you injured in a Thanksgiving accident in Washington state, or was someone close to you injured?

The accident injury lawyers at Cunnane Law in Edmonds, Washington, have seen firsthand the debilitating consequences that accident victims’ disabilities may have on them and their family. The injured person will face many challenges after a Thanksgiving Day accident in order to recover their health and put their lives back together.

To get the help you deserve, contact the highly regarded and experienced accident injury legal team at Cunnane Law of Edmonds, Washington, right now.

Note: This information was provided not for any specific claim and is written in broad and general terms and may not be the right path to follow for a particular claim or case. This information is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. It is always best to receive direct legal counsel for your legal issues. It is never too early to call the attorney, but it can be too late.

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