Premises Liability: How To Prevent Personal Injuries At Home This Holiday Season
Gatherings with friends and family are a fun part of the holiday season and often take place in each other’s homes. Amidst all the decorating, menu planning, and other tasks to prepare, take time to focus on safety. Household accidents are a common cause of personal injuries over the holiday season. Our Naples personal injury lawyer offers tips to protect your guests and yourself in the event personal injuries happen while visiting someone in their home.
Four Common Household Accidents That Can Happen Over The Holidays
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), household accidents claim the lives of nearly 160,000 people each year while causing serious personal injuries for close to 50 million other victims. Unfortunately, the holiday season is when they are most likely to occur. The following are four of the most common and tips to prevent them:
- Slips and Falls
Clear clutter from floors, stairs, and hallways before guests arrive, provide ample lighting, and make sure there are no trip hazards on sidewalks and other outdoor areas.
- Household Fires
Never leave candles, your fireplace, or a hot stove unattended. Use caution with Christmas trees as well. Make sure to water live trees regularly and when stringing lights, take precautions to avoid overloading outlets.
- Getting Struck By Objects
Be sure all decor is well attached. Check mounting for shelves, lighting fixtures, and other objects and secure bookcases, dresses, and televisions to walls.
- Accidental Poisoning
Contaminated foods or improper cooking or storage methods can jeopardize the health of your guests. Properly store cleaning supplies, paint thinner, and other potentially poisonous substances that could be lying around your home.
When Personal Injuries Happen At Another’s Home
Under the Florida Statutes, property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises and to warn visitors of potential hazards. When they fail to do so, they can be held responsible through a premises liability claim for medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs victims incur as a result.
Following the above tips can help prevent premises liability accidents while entertaining over the holiday season. If you happen to be injured while visiting someone at their home, follow these steps to protect your rights in filing a claim:
- Notify the homeowner or property manager immediately of what happened;
- Take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries;
- Get contact information from guests who may have witnessed the incident;
- Get names and policy numbers for any homeowners or renters insurance policies the host has in place.
Contact Our Naples Premises Liability Lawyer
When personal injuries happen at the home of a friend or family member, filing a premises liability claim can be awkward. At Cardinal Law, P.A., we can negotiate with insurance representatives involved, so that you and the host do not have to be personally involved. To find out more about your rights in seeking compensation, contact our Naples premises liability lawyer today.
Sources:
injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/home-and-community-overview/introduction/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.0705.html
