Keeping Your 4th of July Celebration a Safe One
Independence Day is one of our nation’s most celebrated holidays and a popular time for family get-togethers or a night out with friends. But as the holiday quickly approaches, it is important to keep the safety of your family and friends in mind.
In one way or another, nearly everyone celebrates the 4th of July with fireworks. We either light some off ourselves, or head over and watch one of the many local municipal fireworks shows. But as a reminder, not all cities, counties, and states allow the possession of the same kinds of fire works. If you are not sure what bans, if any, for fireworks are enforced in your neighborhood, check with your local police department website. The Denver police department has issued this flier on what is and is not acceptable this 4th of July: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/720/documents/News/FireworksFlyer2012.pdf
Fireworks and Injuries
According to a study conducted by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPAC) in 2011, approximately 9,600 people were treated at emergency rooms for fireworks injuries. More than half of those injuries were burns, and nearly half of the injuries were injuries to the hands and fingers. The majority of injuries to other body parts were to the eyes, head, or face. The eyes were the only part of the body where lacerations, contusions and foreign bodies were more common injuries than burns. Most people treated at the emergency room were released without being admitted to the hospital.
Injuries to Children
Of course, there are things you can do to ensure the safety of your family. An analysis of the ages of fireworks injury victims shows that about 16% of all fireworks injuries are to children under the age of ten. The fact that sparklers cause more injuries than any other type of firework probably goes hand in hand with this statistic. Something to remember is that, even if you don’t give your children fireworks, children are curious, so you need to watch them around fireworks, and also watch the fireworks and matches or lighters to be sure that your children aren’t getting into them out of curiosity.
The CPSC related one other very disturbing trend for the 4th of July holiday. They report a spike in child pool drownings during the week surrounding the 4th with over 20 drownings, but also several thousand emergency room visits after near-drownings. As important as it is to monitor your children around fireworks, please don’t forget, if you have a pool, to be sure that a responsible, sober adult is monitoring the pool at all times. The fact is, it only takes a moment for a small child to have a terrible, tragic accident.
If You are Injured by the Reckless Use of Fireworks by Another Person, You May Have Legal Recourse.
If you are burned, a family member is injured, or your property is destroyed by the reckless use of fireworks by another person, you may have legal options. You should not be forced to pay for your damages due to someone else refusing to celebrate the 4th of July safely. The experienced, dedicated Denver child accident injury attorneys at the law office of Wade Eldridge wish you a very happy and joyful 4th of July holiday, and also remind you to please be conscious of your own safety, as well as the safety of any children with whom you are celebrating. If everyone is careful, there is no reason that we can’t all have a fun, safe, enjoyable holiday. In the unfortunate event that you have been injured through the negligence of someone else, contact Denver personal injury attorney Wade Eldridge at (303)861-4222 for more information and a FREE CONSULTATION.
