Accidents During the Holidays: How to Protect Your Family

Icy roads, low visibility while driving, freezing temperatures, and extra people on the road. It can all be a recipe for disaster this winter. Now add in the tall ladders and high rooftops that many of us climb to decorate during Christmas time. Of course, we are just asking for an injury! Accidents during the holidays can be especially distressing, but there are many things that you can do to prevent accidents and injuries this year. Let’s check out some of the top mishaps and dangers that often occur during the holidays and how you can avoid them altogether.

Slips and Falls

Those icy walks and streets are tricky to navigate during the winter. Sometimes you don’t even see the ice until you’re sitting on it or lying across it after a fall. Not fun!

Tripping risks are another hazard you might encounter, especially during this time of year. Here are some tips for avoiding them all:

• Be sure that your walkways and driveway are regularly cleared of snow. Salting those walks well will not only help melt the ice but also provide some traction for you, your family, and your neighbors walking on it. (It could save you from a potential lawsuit too!!!)
• Let a friend or family member help you when getting up on a ladder to decorate. Spend extra time to make sure your ladder is stable and safe to climb. Don’t stretch too far while you’re up high trying to reach that spot that’s just “a little further.” Instead, get off the ladder and move it as you work.
• Try to run any Christmas light cords against baseboards or away from walkways to avoid tripping accidents.
• On Christmas morning, designate a spot for toys to be played with after they’re unwrapped. Watch your step, so you don’t have an accidental fall on those new toys!

Fires

There are several ways that fires can be started this season. Watch those yummy-smelling candles, and don’t leave them unattended. You never know what could catch on fire around them. Avoid attaching several strands of Christmas lights or several extension cords together. The electrical sockets can be overloaded, and melted wiring can cause a fire. An increase in holiday baking can also lead to fires as things are forgotten.

What about that Christmas tree that starts to really dry out by the time Christmas finally comes around? Consider purchasing an artificial fire-retardant tree to solve your problem completely, or work hard to be extra careful about not skipping any watering days. Be sure to keep your tree (real or fake) away from a fireplace, portable space heaters, and other heat sources.

It’s also a good idea to double-check those smoke/fire alarms to be sure they are working and have new batteries installed regularly. That way, if there was a fire, you would be warned to get out!

Do all you can to avoid fire accidents during the holidays by being extra vigilant and extra careful about your actions. Be where you are. A good idea for all of us! It can be so easy to become overwhelmed and forget about a lit candle in the other room or cookies in the oven. Try not to multitask too much during this busy time, or else a fire could be the result.

Car Accidents

Unfortunately, car accidents are one of those things that we also see an increase in during the winter holiday months. Whether it’s due to rough winter weather outside, holiday party drinking and driving, distracted driving, or all the above, car accidents account for a large number of accidents during the holidays.

While drunk driving is a big problem across the country, it’s an even bigger problem during the holidays. Can you believe in 2021 alone, 13,384 people died in drunk driving-related fatalities in the U.S? On average, 37 people per day die in drunk driving accidents in the U.S., that is one person every 39 minutes. Each of these deaths was completely preventable. Imagine one of these deaths was your father or sister. Would you take driving under the influence a little more seriously? Plan ahead to get home safely after your holiday party by either having a designated driver or calling an Uber to take you home. You don’t want to chance getting injured or injuring someone else.

Don’t leave home or anywhere else without buckling your seat belt. Check your kids also; don’t just take for granted that they buckled up. Be extra careful and cautious in the late evenings as you take to the streets. There could be other people on the road that are not quite so careful and alert.

Back Strain

The snowy weather brings out the weekend warrior in all of us. Maybe you’re hitting the slopes for the first time in a few months (or years) without adequately preparing to do so. Maybe you’re simply shoveling that heavy snow after a big snowstorm that pushes your back over the edge. Either way, you can quickly and easily strain your back and make it impossible to enjoy the holidays with your family.

Try to prepare beforehand by training your body and getting in better shape before taking part in winter sports. For example, as you shovel that snow on your driveway, try pushing the snow instead of lifting it. Take lots of breaks and don’t overwork yourself and cause an injury. Maybe even ask for help!

Accidents During the Holidays Causing You Stress?

If an injury during the holidays is causing you grief and stress, let Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. help ease the burden. When negligent actions have been taken on the part of others that caused you or a loved one to get hurt, they should be held responsible.

Our attorney team will handle the aftermath of any accidents during the holidays. Call us at
(504) 522-2304 to learn more and to schedule a completely free consultation to get started. We want you and your family to have a peaceful and wonderful Christmas and holiday season.