As the weather slowly begins to turn colder, the winter holidays quickly approach. With already busy schedules topped with holiday parties, shopping and merriment, many people take risks with their safety. The Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at Glober Law Firm remind people to take some precautions to ensure the everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season.
- Ensure your house is safe for visitors: Cracks in the sidewalk, loose steps and rotting floorboards are just a few household repairs to finish before family and friends come to visit for the winter holidays. Property owners owe a certain level of protection to visitors, so make sure your home is safe prior to hosting guests.
- Use step stools to hang decorations: While it might be tempting to climb on a chair or sofa to hang holiday wreaths and garland, people can easily slip and fall. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 17,000 people were treated in emergency rooms between 2000 and 2003 due to falls while decorating for the holidays. Grab a step stool to put up decorations to reduce the risk of falling.
- Monitor product recalls: While shopping for holiday decor, presents and meals, people can easily get swept up in excitement and miss vital product recalls. Stay updated on recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the United States Coast Guard, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at https://www.recalls.gov/. You can also view recalls on the Glober Law Firm website at http://globerlaw.com/recalls/.
- Blow out the candles: Candles are an intrinsic part of a variety of different religious and secular holiday traditions. From outdoor decorations to pine-scented versions, people use candles for a wide variety of holiday celebrations. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, home candle fires are at a peak in December with eleven percent of candle fires in homes stemming from decorations. As with any open flame, remember to use caution. Always blow out candles before leaving a room or retiring to bed for the night.
- Keep Christmas trees away from heat sources: The U.S. Fire Administration also reports electrical problems cause one in every three fires involving Christmas trees. The U.S. Fire Administration goes on to say that one in every 40 fires related to Christmas trees in homes results in a death compared to one death in more than 140 structural fires in homes not involving Christmas trees.
- Watch children carefully: With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, children can easily get hurt. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages parents and caregivers to monitor children while they eat and play. Keep coins, hard candy and small toy parts away from children and ensure you know how to perform CPR should a child start to choke. With warm Florida weather, children may want to play outside during the winter holidays. Ensure children are careful on jungle gyms and slides as 147 children died from injuries on playgrounds between 1990 and 2000.
- Travel with Caution: According to Travel Weekly, most Americans are expected to depart for holiday trips on Dec. 23, 2015, followed closely by a large number of people in the U.S. leaving for holiday vacations on Dec. 19. With a large number of people driving and traveling through airports, take caution and watch your surroundings.
Glober Law Firm is a Jacksonville personal injury law firm representing victims of:
- Auto accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Dog bites and attacks
- Head and spinal cord injuries
- Motorcycle accidents
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent security
- Pedestrian accidents
- Physical assaults
- Premises liability
- Slip and fall accidents
- Wrongful death
At Glober Law Firm, your case is always handled by an experienced trial attorney who has been practicing law for more than 25 years. Have you been injured in an accident or know someone who has been injured in an accident? Contact Glober Law Firm today for a free personal injury case evaluation and review.
