The 12 Injuries of Christmas

Each Christmas, families gather together to open presents and enjoy a delicious meal. While this year might be different, the Christmas spirit is still there which means emergency room visits will remain a popular Christmas destination. To help you avoid any preventable hospital visits, our Lake Nona personal injury lawyers have created a list of 12 common, yet avoidable, holiday-related injuries of Christmas.

Be Careful While Driving

Between poor weather conditions and reckless drivers, it can be dangerous to travel on Christmas week. To stay safe, make sure your vehicle is in proper working order, keep your eyes on the road, put down the cell phone, follow local and state traffic laws, don’t drive while intoxicated, and be aware of pedestrians.

Check Your Wires

The U.S. Fire Administration reports that holiday fires kill more than 400 Americans each year. These injuries and fatalities are often due to fires caused by holiday lights and Christmas trees. You can protect your home and family by taking proper safety precautions; for example, don’t use damaged wires, avoid overloading the electrical circuits and turn off lights when you are not going to be home.

Choose the Right Tree

For many, Christmas Day isn’t complete without a brilliantly decorated tree. However, it’s important to take certain precautions if you want to avoid a fire. For instance, if you choose a live tree, make sure the branches aren’t dried out. If you have any questions about your tree-of-choice, you can ask an employee at the Christmas tree lot for guidance. It’s also important to place your tree far away from any fireplaces or furnaces. Alternatively, if you have an artificial tree, make sure the tree and the decorations are nonflammable.

Pick the Right Ornaments

Countless families have turned Christmas tree decorating into a holiday tradition. After you drag out those old boxes of ornaments, make sure to carefully examine each item for cracks and other damages before handing them off to your other family members. Broken Christmas tree ornaments are responsible for thousands of cuts each year.

Avoid Trips, Slips & Falls

Decorating the home is serious business for many Florida residents. Sadly, many people sustain grievous injuries when hanging up and taking down decorations. To avoid preventable falls, make sure your ladder is stable and that you’re working in a clear area. We also recommend having an assistant to help with the decorating. If an accident occurs, they can contact emergency services on your behalf.
Watch Your Kids: Colorful decorations and wrapped presents light up a child’s Christmas spirit. At the same time, young children have a tendency to swallow small objects or stick them in places that necessitate an emergency room visit. Hundreds of children are rushed to hospitals each year because they swallowed ornaments, lights, magnets, and toys.

Party Responsibly

Some people tend to go overboard when it comes to celebrating Christmas. If you’re hosting or attending a party this year, be careful to avoid drinking too much. If you don’t feel comfortable driving, have a friend drive you home or call for an Uber or Lyft.

Protect Your Back

Between lifting heavy boxes, trees, and Christmas displays, it’s easy to seriously injure your back. Try to avoid lifting heavy objects without a second set of hands. You don’t want to spend Christmas Day in bed!
Put Down that Knife: An unfortunate number of people use kitchen knives to trim their Christmas trees and open presents. These kitchen utensils are certainly sharp enough to get the job done, but you might lose a finger in the process. Stick to safe and durable scissors or an Xacto knife.

Use the Right Tools

Some decorations require a little more creativity than others. If you’re planning an elaborate lawn display or light show, make sure that you’re safely utilizing the proper construction tools.
Pay Attention to the Weather: Before you prepare to travel or put up Christmas lights, check the weather report and consider your options. A vicious gust of wind can knock you off a ladder, so you may want to save decorating for a later date. It’s true that you may not have a choice when it comes to traveling, but make sure that you’re driving a safe vehicle that can handle the weather conditions.

Be Wary of Poisonous Plants

Several popular holiday plans are poisonous to humans and pets. This list includes: holly, mistletoe, ivy, yew, and poinsettias. Adults and older children should handle these plants with gloves and wash their hands before consuming any food. If you have these plants in your home, keep a careful watch on your younger children and pets.

Christmas, like any holiday, is not free from dangers. Even so, many risks associated with this holiday can be mitigated by exercising caution.

Injured on Christmas? Contact Our Firm

At The Armour Law Group, we hope that you have a safe and joyous holiday season. However, if you receive injuries on Christmas due to the negligent actions of another person or entity, contact our Lake Nona personal injury lawyers. We can investigate your case and help you recover damages that facilitate your physical and financial recovery process.