Halloween is that one time of year where both children and adults dress up and get ready to face everything “spooky” that roams at night. While it is a time filled with late nights, candy, and maybe even a few sips from the local witches’ cauldron, it can also present injuries and dangerous situations at every turn.
Emergency rooms fill to the brim with patients from all walks of life on Halloween. While most are there for minor scrapes and bruises, some come with life-threatening injuries. Automobile accidents, especially those with pedestrians, peak at Halloween. Therefore, if you wish to avoid becoming just another statistic, you should always familiarize yourself with the injuries more common on Halloween – that way you can better prepare on how to avoid them.
Eye Injuries
Costumes can come with sharp objects, like swords. They may be props and made of plastic, but if they are used inappropriately or jabbed into someone’s eye, they can cause irreversible damage. Make sure your child knows how to properly and safely use his or her prop. If they cannot be trusted with such responsibility, then remove it from their costume completely.
Burn Injuries
Costumes for younger children should always be flame retardant, but if you purchased them online, they could be sold by a vendor that does not comply with the requirement. Therefore, remember to always purchase locally and check the package to ensure your child’s costume has flame retardant materials.
Neighbors that like to use real candles in their Jack-o-Lanterns pose a serious safety risk to children. This is especially important if they have loose components of their costume that can catch fire, like a long sleeve or veil.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
The top accidents seen on Halloween are car accidents. With children running in the streets going door to door and adults leaving local Halloween parties, there are more people on the road at dusk that night than usual.
Parents need to protect their young children by supervising them during their trick-or-treating. For teens, designate areas where your teen can go, and make sure they are wearing glow sticks or a reflective material on their costumes so that they are seen by motorists. You can purchase these on Amazon or any local department store.
Drivers need to pay close attention to the road on a daily basis, but on Halloween, it is so important to be extra cautious– especially in neighborhoods that have an influx of trick or treaters. Driving well below the speed limit, checking between cars, and avoiding all distractions is your number one priority.
Trip, Slip, and Falls
This time of the year can be especially wet. Streets will be slick, and sidewalks may have mud or leaves that can cause surfaces to be slippery. Children may be wearing costumes that are a tripping hazard or shoes that they are not used to walking in, let alone running from door to door in. Combine all these factors into a single night and you have a recipe for disaster!
To prevent these types of injuries, make sure your costume and your child’s costume is free of tripping hazards, and wear appropriate shoes for long evenings of trick-or-treating outside. When you are not inside your house, remove any potential slip or trip hazards, so that you do not cause any accidents.
Injured on Halloween? Find an Attorney
Whether you were in a rear-end collision, tripped on a neighbor’s driveway, or you were burned by someone’s improper use of live flames for display, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries on Halloween.
It is imperative that you seek medical attention for your injuries first. Then, contact an attorney in the area.
Content edited by personal injury attorney Judd Shaw. From the beginning, Judd established a set of Core Values laying out the pursuit for excellence in client service. He is a regular host of the Working The Wow podcast, with the belief that providing an exceptional client experience is just as important as delivering a quality service or product. You can find us in Red Bank and Tom‘s River, New Jersey.