Staying safe this holiday season in Washington, D.C. and Maryland should be at the top of mind. With the stream of holidays we will have over the following weeks and months, there will be plenty of opportunity for spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately, with that, not everyone makes the best decisions regarding the safety of themselves and others. While Gelb & Gelb wishes everyone a safe and happy holidays, we hope you will mind the safety tips included on this page.
Driving Safety
During the holidays, families get together to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Years, and anything else important to your family. While these families get together and have a great time, there is sometimes an unfortunate amount of planning and safety when getting home. We encourage families to get together and enjoy each other’s company in a festive manner. However, there needs to be foresight so everyone can stay safe this holiday season. The number of drunk driving accidents is unfortunately far too high on holiday nights. This is especially true on holidays involving a large meal to close out an evening.
When getting in your car, be sure you have not been drinking during the day. Even if you have not had a drink for a couple hours, if you were earlier in the day, you may be more tired than you realize. While true on any day, a holiday is a particularly unfortunate day to have an accident, especially with your family in the truck with you. Be cognizant of the other families who share the road with you, so everyone can get to where they are going safely.
Staying Safe While Shopping This Holiday Season
While there are certainly some dangers that are more or less out of your control, there are still things to avoid while staying safe this holiday season. During the holiday season, employees at stores may be pushed to their limits. They may not be inspecting for patent dangers the way they should. While the employees are unlikely to be causing the hazards, the increase in the number of shoppers will likely overwhelm employees struggling to keep a safe shopping environment. Accordingly, there may be an excess number of slippery floors in shopping malls or other stores.
Slip and fall cases and premises liability cases are among the most common types of cases we handle. In 2023, we hear a lot about violence in public spaces. Accordingly, as patrons, we must be aware of our surroundings and be vigilante in looking out for potential dangers.
Dangers to Look out for While Shopping
Below is a list of the most common dangers you may encounter when shopping for your family around the holiday season.
- Slip and fall accidents
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Assault/Battery
- Pickpocketing
- Scams
Tips to Staying Safe This Holiday Season While Shopping
While some things are out of your hands, there is a long list of things you can do to improve your odds of staying safe this holiday season while shopping. The first tip is to be mindful of your surroundings. Even if you follow everything else we list in this section, it will not be useful if you are unaware of your surroundings and thus do not know when to act. Next, we suggest that you shop with a friend or family member. A person who is shopping alone is an easier target for someone with bad intentions. This simple tip can automatically cross you off a list of potential victims.
Before you even get into the mall or store, be careful in the parking lot. If you can, park your car in a well-lit area. Additionally, lock your car as soon as you get in. This can go a long way towards staying safe this holiday season. The parking lot is a location when shopping where countless violent crimes occur. Moreover, as personal injury lawyers, we need someone to sue to hold legally liable for your injuries. While a motor vehicle such as a car, motorcycle, or truck is easy to track with tags, it may be more difficult to track a person without their name. For these reasons, be diligent when shopping around the holidays.
Stay Safe on a Night Out
We have a wealth of experience handling nightclub injury cases in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Further, because this is a type of case that we handle so frequently, we have put together a list of nightclub safety tips which will hopefully work to keep people safe in D.C. and Maryland. Going on a night out with friends or family during the holidays, especially around Thanksgiving, can be a special time. Many people travel back home to be with family and this provides an opportunity for old friends to reconnect. While this can be very exciting, it can lead to bad decisions.
Steps to Take if You are Hurt
If you get injured while on a night out, you need to seek immediate medical attention. Once that is taken care of, speak with police. They will help you by filling out a police report. This can help log contact and witness information and organize notes on statements made the night of the accident. Then, speak immediately with a qualified nightclub injury attorney who will assist you with your case. Whether at a nightclub or a neighborhood bar, it is important to stay vigilant and report something to security or the police if a danger arises so you and those around you can stay safe this holiday season.
Staying Safe This Holiday Season While Decorating Your Home
Around the holidays, many of us like to decorate our homes. While it appears on its face to be a safe, festive activity, it can also present dangers. Our first tip is to use ladders safely while hanging Christmas lights. While lights on your home can create a beautiful display for neighbors, setting them up can be dangerous. While this is unlikely to lead to a cause of action in tort as the negligence is likely to be from the person injuring himself, it is still important to climb carefully on ladders. This means ensuring the ladder is safely planted in the ground. If you can, bring someone over to hold the ladder steady. This will help ensure you are staying safe this holiday season.
An ancillary tip for hanging lights up on your house during the holidays is to not overload your outlets. This is a frequent cause of residential electrical fires. These outlets can carry too much electricity which carries too much heat. The heat causes ware and tear on the wires in your home. So, even if you have used the exact same lights in years past, your wires may still be at risk in your home. Additionally, be careful when lighting candles in your home. Candles lit near a curtain or in jeopardy of being knocked over by a child is a risk you face during the holidays.
Contact a Washington, D.C. Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have any questions regarding the information above, please contact our office today for a free consultation. Have a happy holiday season in 2023.