Common Halloween Injuries
Halloween is often regarded as one of the most fun days of the year. Children and adults alike dress up in their favorite costumes and get together with delicious food and treats to play games and have fun! Oftentimes, these parties and festivities take place at night in large crowds, outside, and may even involve alcohol. Because of this, Halloween is one of the most dangerous nights of the year.
Cases of pedestrian accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, and more are all increased on the night of October 31st. To stay safe this Halloween, it’s important to understand the most common Halloween injuries and accidents so that you can protect yourself and your family during the days’ festivities. Lamar Law Office is committed to helping you and your stay safe on Halloween and enjoy a fun day!
Here are some common Halloween injuries to watch out for this year:
1. Distracted or Drunk Driving Accidents
The night of Halloween sees more traffic on the roads as more people are traveling between parties, neighborhoods, and spooky events. With more people on the roads, more accidents are likely to occur. It’s also important to remember that people are often traveling in groups, meaning drivers are more distracted and alcohol may be involved. According to Protect America Halloween Stats, children are two times more likely to be killed in a traffic accident on the night of Halloween. If you’re out on the roads the night of Halloween, be extra cautious of other drivers around you, and take care at traffic lights to look both ways before passing through. Being extra cautious on the road for distracted or drunk drivers is an important way to protect yourself and your family as you’re traveling throughout the night.
2. Pumpkin Carving
The Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that over 40% of Halloween accidents are pumpkin carving related. To prevent a pumpkin carving related injury, make sure that you are using safe pumpkin carving tools and techniques! Always cut and carve away from you, and never in the direction towards your hands or body. Make sure children are always supervised, and don’t allow small children to use large knives to carve. Consider painting or decorating pumpkins, instead of carving them, to prevent dangerous knife accidents as well.
3. Inadequate Security at Large Events
Some of the most common Halloween activities, such as haunted houses and corn mazes, take place at night in the dark amongst crowds of people. These locations are required to take extra safety precautions in order to protect their guests from injuries or harm. Take care at these dark, crowded places and check beforehand the safety precautions that they have in place. If you are injured at one of these locations due to inadequate security, count on the team at Lamar Law Office to support you in receiving the justice you deserve.
4. Pedestrian Accidents
As more people are out on the streets walking around, and more drivers are on the road potentially distracted or intoxicated, pedestrian accidents are a common Halloween injury. A Best Place’s study revealed that Halloween is the deadliest day of the year for child pedestrian fatalities. To protect your children from a pedestrian accident, be sure that they stay a safe distance away from the road, cross the street with an adult, and don’t use a costume that is too dark to be seen at night. For adults, make sure that you always check your surroundings, and stay away from the edge of the sidewalk as you’re walking or waiting on friends. Only cross the road at a designated crossing area, being sure to look in all directions for oncoming cars.
5. Trip and Fall Accidents
It’s no surprise that the night of Halloween involves more trip and fall accidents than usual. Costumes are one of the reasons for the rise in trip and fall accidents, as they can often restrict an individual’s movements, especially in large crowds or while walking around trick or treating. Another reason is that many Halloween activities take place at night, and with the lack of visibility, more accidents are likely to happen. Before leaving the house, check to make sure you or your children can walk comfortably in your costume. Be aware of any costume parts that may affect your ability to navigate around others or around busy sidewalks so that you can be extra careful as you’re walking around.
Lamar Office Wishes You a Safe and Happy Halloween!
Lamar Law Office wants you and your family to stay safe and have a great Halloween! If you are injured on the night of Halloween or anytime, call our law office immediately to talk with one of our compassionate, experienced personal injury attorneys in Atlanta area. We’ll help you to receive the care and representation that you need for any accident.