Maine Injury Lawyer Blog
SAFE KIDS Maine warns that celebrators (of all ages) are at some serious risks for burn, cut and other serious injuries through the Fourth of July holiday.According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are 200 a day (on average) who are sent to the E.R. because of a firework-related accident in the month that surrounds the Fourth of July. That’s about 90 percent of all of the fireworks accidents we saw in 2012. Homemade and illegal fireworks were involved in all 6 firework-related fatalities during the year.
Our Portland personal injury lawyers understand that the hands and fingers are the most commonly injured body parts in these kinds of accidents. But the truth of the matter is that there’s a lot more to risk during this time of the year. Following hands and fingers, heads, faces and ears are the second most common body parts to be injured in firework accidents, following by the trunk. In these accidents, more than half were burns.
Injuries by Fireworks Type:
-Unspecified – 25 percent.
-Firecrackers, 23 percent.
-Bottle Rockets: 12 percent.
-Sparklers – 12 percent.
-Reloadable Shells: 9 percent.
-Novelties: 5 percent.
-Roman Candles: 4 percent.
-Multiple Tubes: 3 percent.
-Fountains: 2 percent.
-Public Displays: 2 percent.
According to the CPSC, those between the ages of 25 and 34 are the most likely to be injured in these kinds of accidents. Men are more likely to be injured than woman.
Males were most injured from firecrackers, roman candles, reloadable shells, sparklers, novelty devices and rockets while women were most injured at public fireworks displays. Men account for about 75 percent of all firework-related injuries while women only account for 25 percent.
Before planning for your Fourth of July celebration, you want to make sure that fireworks are legal in your area. You should also keep them away from children and only use them one at a time. Any kind of altered firework can serve up some serious risks for an accident, so make sure you read the instructions and the warning labels before use.
You’re also asked to be extremely cautious on our roadways over the holiday period. Fourth of July continues to rank more deadly than any other holiday throughout the year. With the increase in travel, your risks for an accident skyrocket.
It is usually the day of cookouts and fireworks, but the fourth of July is also the day that close to 135 people die on the roads each year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
That’s why, in addition to firework safety, our personal injury attorneys are stressing that motorists buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention behind the wheel and be sure to plan ahead for a sober ride for the holiday.
We wish you a safe and Happy Fourth of July.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact us at 1-800-804-2004 or read more on our website.
More Blog Entries:
Rising Temps Increasing Risks for Child Heatstroke in Vehicles, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, June 22, 2013
Prevent Maine Car Accident Risk on Road Trips, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, June 14, 2013