Five Tips From Port Charlotte Personal Injury Attorneys Stay Safe This Holiday Season

The holidays are finally here and all the merriment that comes with them. However, to keep your holidays happy, it’s important you stay mindful and do what you can to protect yourself. This time of year, we always see an increase in accident injuries. To help you avoid getting injured, we’ve put together a list of tips to keep you safe this holiday season.

Use Extra Caution On The Roads

During the holidays, there is an increased amount of traffic on the road. Further, many of the drivers are stressed, intoxicated, and distracted from the holidays. In fact, auto accident deaths increase 30% around the holidays in the state of Florida. When you are driving, try to drive very defensively. Do not engage in distracted or tired driving. Also never drive intoxicated, even if you’ve only had one drink. Try to avoid driving during peak hours to reduce your exposure. If you are driving North for the holidays, make sure to winterize your car to avoid weather-related accidents.

Be Careful Shopping

Slip and fall accidents also increase during the holidays. With people rushing around trying to finish their list and retail workers trying to keep up, things get a little dangerous. When you are out shopping, pay extra attention to where you are walking. Make sure to look for any wet or uneven surfaces that can lead to a slip or trip and fall. These accidents don’t just happen in stores, they often also happen in parking lots. Use extra care when shopping and try not to rush if possible.

Use Extra Caution Decorating

There’s nothing more beautiful than holiday lights on your home. However, hanging decorations leads to a lot of accidents. Check all your decorations for any hazards. For example, check all your holiday lights for any damaged or frayed wiring that could lead to a fire. When you are hanging decorations make sure to always work with a helper. Avoid placing your decor in areas that are dangerous to get to or hard to reach. They may be pretty but they aren’t worth the accident. Also, make sure to avoid placing any decor in walkways. This will help guests avoid tripping and falling or getting otherwise injured.

Take Care Of Your Guests

Speaking of injured guests, make sure to use extra caution during holiday hosting. Make sure that any walkways are clear and any hazards on your property are marked. If possible, try to make any repairs before you invite guests over to reduce the risk of injury. Make sure to walk around your property and look for any potential risks. When you have guests over, make sure to never leave the kitchen while something is still cooking. This can increase your risk of fire. Finally, make sure to have a plan to reduce disease transmission. With COVID still present among other things like seasonal flu and food-borne illness, it’s important to keep your guests safe.

Be Selective When Choosing Gifts

When buying gifts for friends and family, take a few extra minutes to make sure the gifts are not dangerous. This is especially important when giving gifts to children. A great idea is to search for gifts or toys on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website. The CPSC tracks all product recalls. This will ensure that all the gifts you give are safe and free of any product issues that could lead to injury.

These five tips will help reduce your risk of injury and your risk of being liable for other injuries during the holiday. We hope that your holidays are fun and full of joy. However, if you do get injured, know that the team at All Injuries Law Firm is always here for you.

We hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season.