How to Avoid the Most Common and Dangerous Holiday Accidents

The holidays are filled with lots of fun activities, from cooking and baking holiday foods to decorating the home, to hitting the road to go on vacation or see family and friends out of town. But these activities also come with the risk of being injured in an accident. Here are three of the most common and dangerous holiday accidents and steps you can take to help reduce the risk of being injured by one of these accidents. 

Decorating Accidents

Although many of us like to decorate our homes for the holidays, it can be easy to suffer injuries in an accident. Common decorating accidents include:

• Falls from heights, including falling off ladders or off the roof
• Electrocution when working with electrical decorations
• Lacerations and amputations, when using saws, knives, scissors, or box cutters 
• Perforation injuries, such as when working with nails or nail guns
• Crush accidents, which can occur when a Christmas tree or heavy boxes or objects fall on an individual

Tips to help keep yourself safe when decorating for the holidays include:

• Always wear gloves when handling Christmas trees or when working with sharp instruments.
• Also wear sturdy, slip-resistant footwear when decorating outside, especially if you are putting decorations up on your roof.
• Use appropriate length ladders to reach up on shelves or when putting decorations up on gutters or roofs.
• Keep light strings and other electrical decorations unplugged when putting them up or adjusting them.

Motor Vehicle Crashes

The holidays see some of the highest rates of motor vehicle accidents out of the year. Factors that lead to the increase in holiday motor vehicle accident rates include:

• Increased traffic, including from long-distance travel as people go on vacation or leave town to visit family or friends, as well as local traffic with people out and about holiday gift shopping and running errands.
• Drunk drivers, as people may be more likely to get behind the wheel after becoming intoxicated at holiday dinners or parties.
• Adverse weather leading to poor road conditions, including rain, sleet, ice, or snow.

When driving this holiday season, tips to follow to help reduce your risk of being involved in an auto accident include:

• Increase your following distance in adverse weather, as well as at night and in the early morning. Your car will need a longer distance to stop on icy or slick roads.
• Slow down, especially in bad weather or in heavy traffic.
• Ensure that your car is properly maintained and prepared for winter, including making sure that your car has proper oil and antifreeze levels, or putting winter tires on your vehicle if necessary.
• If you plan to drink, make arrangements to get home safely, such as having a designated driver or taking a cab or rideshare.

Kitchen Incidents

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are days when many families will prepare large holiday meals. Many people will also do a lot of cooking and baking when throwing holiday parties. However, improper food safety and carelessness in the kitchen can lead to serious injuries or harm, including:

• Food poisoning, or medical conditions caused by food-borne illnesses
• Lacerations from knives and other sharp utensils and equipment
• Burns from hot pans or dishes, hot stove surfaces, or kitchen/cooking fires

To avoid injuries from kitchen incidents, make sure that your food is always cooked to the recommended temperatures; frozen meats should only be defrosted in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath. Remember to always use potholders or oven mitts when handling or moving pots or pans or dishes coming out of the oven. Also, consider using protective gloves when working with knives.

Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Auto Accident Case in Pennsylvania

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to an auto accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC represent clients injured because of auto accidents in Butler, Cranberry Township, Erie, Greensburg, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call (412) 471-4300 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 310 Grant St. #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.