Hernando County Injury Attorney :: Tips for Celebrating Safely This Fourth of July

July 1, 2013

With the Fourth of July just days away, many people in Spring Hill, Brooksville and the surrounding areas are making plans and picking up any necessary party supplies. Whether you have plans to host a barbecue at your home, attend a friend or neighbor’s party or even go to a fireworks show, there are always people that are seriously injured every year during Independence Day celebrations. The Hernando County Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton encourage everyone who plans to partake in 4th of July festivities to make safety a top priority.

While nothing is more patriotic than a dazzling display of fireworks, they can lead to some pretty serious injuries if they are not used properly or if they fail to work correctly for some reason. In fact, according to a report published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, children are highly susceptible to injuries from fireworks. Of all the fireworks injuries reported each and every year, around 45 percent involve children suffering eye injuries that can result in permanent vision loss. Adult males are most at risk for death caused by a fireworks-related injury. Four men died of severe injuries in 2011 from fireworks disasters, and another 68 percent of those injured were male.

At Whittel & Melton, our Hernando County Injury Lawyers want your 4th of July to go off without a hitch. The following basic safety suggestions can help you reduce the risk of a red, white and blue celebration tragedy:

• Do not let any children handle fireworks, at all. Understand that even sparklers burn at about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to cause third-degree burns. Even if there is adult supervision, do not let kids play with fire, period.
• If you are handling fireworks, make sure you are donning the appropriate safety gear. Always wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks. Fireworks can cause serious eye injuries like corneal abrasions, retinal detachment and optic nerve damage. If for some reason the fireworks you are lighting off malfunction, your risk for suffering an eye injury can be reduced by wearing protective goggles.
• Opt for attending a fireworks show instead of staging a backyard display at home. If you do decide to head to a public fireworks show, make sure you follow all safety instructions while at the show and stay behind safety barriers. Never touch or pick up any unexploded fireworks that may be on the ground. Should the firework go off the results can be deadly.
• Never make your own fireworks and do not purchase illegal ones. Of the four firework-related fatalities reported by the CPSC in 2011, three included illegal fireworks and one involved a homemade device.

If you or a family member suffers a personal injury this Fourth of July, a Hernando County Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help. We are committed to providing effective legal representation to those injured in Spring Hill, Brooksville, Ridge Manor, Weeki Wachee, Hernando Beach and Masaryktown. We are always just a phone call away, and should you not be able to get to our office, we can come to you. For a free consultation call us 24/7 at 352-666-2121 or contact us online.