Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
The Florida Personal Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton advise leaving Fourth of July fireworks to the professionals this holiday weekend.
Summertime in Florida is filled with all kinds of festivities and celebrations, and what better way to celebrate the spirit of America’s freedom than with twinkling wonders lighting up the sky? This Independence Day weekend, Whittel & Melton recommend keeping the fireworks out of your loved ones hands and instead, watch these brilliant displays from a safe distance. Keep in mind that a firework is an explosive device and while they can be purchased at stores, these are commercially packaged explosives that can cause serious burns and eye injuries.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that last year there were three reported deaths and an estimated 8,600 hospital emergency room treated injuries related to fireworks. In 2009, there were an estimated 8,800 injuries treated in America’s emergency rooms and two reported deaths as a result of fireworks. Fireworks were reported as the culprit for more than 7,000 injuries and seven deaths in 2008.
Misguided firecrackers can cause everlasting scarring, third-degree burn injuries and even blindness with the majority of the victims being teenagers and children. Fireworks can even cause houses, automobiles and yards to be set on fire. Fireworks can be defective and always pose the risk of exploding prematurely. Even professional firework displays can cause injuries to bystanders, and if you or a loved one has suffered any type of injury associated with reckless firecracker operations at public display or a backyard BBQ, you should explore your options for legal recourse. A defective device sold by a retailer should also be questioned when the manufacturing is found to be inadequate.
Fireworks and the Fourth of July go hand in hand, so always promote fireworks safety in your neighborhoods and communities. Here are some helpful hints for making sure your red, white and blue celebrations go smoothly:
*Make sure fireworks can be legally bought and sold in your area before purchasing or using them
*Keep young children away from fireworks and never allow them to light them off
*Always attend supervised firework displays—even sparklers, which most deem safe, can cause extreme injuries since they operate at temperatures around 2,000 degrees
*Do not pick up fireworks that failed to fully ignite or attempt to re-light used fireworks
*Do not carry around firecrackers in your pockets or anywhere on your person
*If fireworks are lit in your backyard or neighborhood, douse them with water before throwing them out. Merely throwing them away can cause trash fires.
If you or someone you care for is injured in an accident caused by fireworks in Florida, contact the Florida Personal Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or call us at 352-666-6666 or reach us toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).