Top 4 Fireworks-Related Injuries
Summertime in California is cause for celebration—holidays like Fourth of July, outdoor barbecues, community events, and more. You might plan your evening around watching or setting off fireworks. Fireworks can be exciting and fun to watch, but they also cause injuries.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hundreds of people go to the emergency room every day from fireworks injuries—just in the month around Independence Day. These injuries can be severe, disfiguring, or even fatal, and include burns, disfigurement, and amputation.
Following are the top four injuries from fireworks.
- Hands – Injuries to the hands and fingers from fireworks are extremely common. The majority of these injuries come from handheld fireworks like firecrackers or sparklers. These can result in burns or even bone fractures, depending on the extent of the firecracker’s power.
Never light a firework that’s in your hand. And keep the kids away from fireworks. Remember to review firework safety with everyone present and read the packaging thoroughly.
- Eyes – Eye injuries are another unfortunately common firework accident. Fireworks that explode near your face put you at risk for serious eye injury. Even if the fireworks or firecracker isn’t right in front of your face, some fireworks can spray sparks that could land in your eye if you’re not a safe distance away. These injuries can run the gamut from minor burns to complete vision loss.
If you’re setting off fireworks or need to stand near them, use safety glasses. And if you experience an eye injury while using or watching fireworks, get medical help immediately.
- Face – These types of injuries typically happen when a person is careless and puts their face near a firework or firecracker. You often hear of people doing this when they are unsure if the firework is ignited. An injury like this can be severe, resulting in fractured bones, tissue injuries, and traumatic burns.
Always keep your head away from an ignited firework. If you are unsure if it’s lit, do not relight. Let duds sit for 10 minutes, then put in a bucket of water to disarm them and dispose of later.
- Amputation – When a body part is too close to an exploding firework, it can cause amputation, like a finger or hand. This is a catastrophic injury, both for the victim and those who witness the incident.
Never stand next to or on top of a firework, especially when lit. The explosion is incredibly strong.
If you are injured in a fireworks-related accident you may be entitled to recover compensation through a personal injury claim. The attorneys at Taylor & Ring can talk to you about your injuries and who may be liable. Talk to our Los Angeles lawyers today at 310.776.6390 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation.
David Ring is a nationally renowned plaintiff’s personal injury trial attorney and has obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of seriously-injured individuals or families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident. For more than 20 years, he has represented victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, assault, molestation and sexual misconduct in cases against a variety of employers and entities, including schools, churches and youth organizations.
He prides himself on providing aggressive, yet compassionate representation for children who have been sexually abused and women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted. Read more about David M. Ring.