Holiday Decorating can Lead to Serious Accidents

With the end of the year upon firmly upon us, you may be joining many in the area in the annual tradition of decorating your home for the holidays. Displaying knickknacks and other decorations inside of their home can create a festive and warm atmosphere, and lining your home, bushes, or trees with illuminated lights is an integral part of the season for many.

While this may all seem like harmless merrymaking, in reality, holiday decorating traditions are responsible for a significant number of accidents each year. Here are some of the hazards that can lead to serious injury-causing incidents.

Falls from Heights

Many people like to put lights or other festive decorations on the upper stories of their homes or on their roofs. Usually, this involves pulling out a ladder and going up and down several times to install and adjust the display. People who are working at heights are inherently at risk of injury from a fall, particularly if they do not work from heights often and do not use proper safety equipment. Falls can cause extremely serious injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, dislocations, and even spinal injuries.

Electrical Injuries

Many holiday-themed displays involve the use of electricity, both inside and outside of the home. If these displays are improperly wired or installed, there is a risk that they can cause electrical injuries like burns or shocks or even spark a fire.

Defective Products

Another risk that is involved in holiday decorating is the risk posed by the use of defective products. For example, if a string of holiday lights is improperly insulated, it could easily start a fire that may burn an entire house down. Similarly, holiday decorations that hang from ceilings or are installed at heights may fall and cause serious injury if they are defectively designed or manufactured.

Call a Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer Today to Schedule a Free Consultation

If you are injured in an accident related to holiday decorations this year, you should call an attorney as soon as possible. The attorneys of McEwen & Kestner are committed to helping people hurt in preventable accidents recover for their injuries. To schedule a free consultation, call our office today at 651-224-3833 or send us an email through our online contact form.

1 https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm

2 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/basics/definition/con-20023837