The Fourth of July and the days surrounding it see thousands of Americans celebrating with picnics, parties, and traditional fireworks displays. Unfortunately, these days also see thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries from defective or improperly used fireworks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Knowing the biggest risks can help keep you and your family safe during this year’s Independence Day.
Approximately 8,500 people each year are injured by fireworks, according to the CDC. Children and teens are injured more often than adults – nearly half of those fireworks-related injuries happen to people who are not yet twenty years old. Burns are the most common kind of fireworks-related injury, but people may also suffer lacerations or cuts, the loss of a finger or other body part, or even blindness or deafness if the firework injuries an eye or ear. The families of people injured by fireworks spend over $100 million each year on costs related to the injury, such as medical bills, lost wages, and bills for rehabilitation or therapy.
The best way to protect your family is to leave fireworks displays to the professionals. If you want to have a backyard display, the CDC recommends designating one adult to handle and light fireworks and one adult to keep the rest of the family or group at a safe distance. Keep a bucket of water handy to douse unruly fireworks, and never let children handle fireworks of any kind – even sparklers can burn at temperatures above 1000 degrees, which can cause serious injury.
If a fireworks injury interrupts your Independence Day due to another person’s negligence, seek medical care immediately. Then, consider contacting an experienced TN personal injury lawyer like those at Massey & Associates, P.C. For a free consultation, call us today at (423) 396-0720.
Gary Massey, Jr., is a well-known courtroom advocate practicing law in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gary is a native of Tennessee who began practicing law in 1998. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law where he was ranked in the top 3% of his class and was an editor of the Cumberland Law Review.
