3 common causes of holiday injuries
The winter holiday season is a wonderful time to spend time with your family, decorate the home and go on road trips. Some common activities you may partake in include hanging lights, decorating a Christmas tree and driving to visit loved ones. While these tasks may be somewhat stressful, you may not view them as dangerous.
However, even simple tasks during the holidays can result in injuries, disabilities and fatalities. Here are some statistics and safety tips to help you avoid injuries from holiday accidents this year.
1. Holiday decorating
Every year, between 12,000 and 15,000 people go to the emergency room because of holiday decorating injuries, the Consumer Products Safety Commission reports. Some common causes of decorating accidents include the following:
- An unsafe ladder
- Exceeding the weight limit of a ladder
- Slippery rungs on a ladder
- Decorating after drinking
If you fall off of a ladder, you may suffer a concussion, neck injury, back injury, shoulder injury or wrist injury.
2. Christmas trees and candles
Fires result in approximately 400 Americans every year. A real Christmas tree is one of the main fire hazards that may be in your home. If you use a live tree, make sure it is green and the needles do not break easily. In addition, be careful to set your tree up far away from heat sources, such as a fireplace or heating vent. Lighting candles may also pose a hazard to your health and safety. Be mindful of where you place candles and be diligent about extinguishing them at night.
3. Driving
The roadways are particularly harmful during November, December and early January. The risk of getting in an auto collision is higher when there are so many vehicles clogging up the streets. There are also a lot of drunk drivers during this time of year, increasing the chances of an accident.
If you get hurt during the holiday season, make sure you look into your options for compensation. You may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit or apply for Social Security benefits.