5 Common Holiday Injuries and Who Is Responsible for Them

If you have been injured by the actions of another, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. The experienced Riverside personal injury attorneys at Heiting & Irwin are here to spearhead your efforts at getting a full settlement to pay for your damages.

Consumers and those who celebrate the holidays are always at risk of personal injury due to the increased level of activity. They may be injured when they are away from their home, or even inside it, by the products that they have bought. The common denominator among all of these cases is that there may be someone who is responsible for compensating you when they have caused you harm.

Do not wait until well after the holiday season ends to begin the process of taking legal action against the party whose actions injured you. Call an experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer at Heiting & Irwin by calling us at (951) 682-6400 to learn more about your legal rights and to begin the legal process.

The holidays are a great time of joy for spending time with family and friends. However, there are also elevated risks of personal injury during the holiday season. One study found that nearly one-third of people who celebrate holidays have suffered a holiday-related injury at some point. Many of these injuries require visits to an emergency room and significant related expenses. Here are five common personal injuries that you may have suffered or may suffer during the holidays, along with who you may be able to hold accountable for them.

Defective Toys

Your children want the latest toys as gifts, and it is part of the season. However, the manufacturer of the toy is required to put a safe product out into the marketplace. In general, there were over 150,000 children who were forced to visit the emergency room due to toy-related injuries in 2023, and many of these injuries occurred during the holidays. If your child has been injured due to a defective toy, you may be able to hold the manufacturer or seller of that toy legally responsible through a product liability claim.

Electrocutions and Injuries from Decorations

Decorating for the holidays often means working with electrical lights and instruments. Each year, there are thousands of people who suffer injuries from electrocution. Others are burned in fires from decorations. Many of these injuries result from defective products, and the manufacturer may be liable/responsible.

Drunk Driving Car Accidents

The number of drunk driving accidents spikes sharply around the time of the holidays. Approximately 37% of motor vehicle accident fatalities involve an intoxicated driver (compared with less than 30% during the rest of the year). If you have been involved in a drunk driving accident, you can file a legal claim against the driver involved. The civil case is not part of any criminal consequences that they may face. Even if liability for a drunk driving accident is clearly apparent, an insurance company may still fight by making you low settlement offers. In some cases, additional damage awards are available to punish the responsible driver (punitive damages).

Slip and Fall Accidents

Preparing for the holidays means that you are out and about, running errands and shopping for presents. This places you on the premises of businesses that have an obligation to exercise reasonable care to keep you safe. A business owner may fail to uphold the duty of care by not providing a clear walking path, or even by failing to promptly remedy a problem that someone else has caused. Slip or trip and fall cases are common and seemingly more frequent in the holiday season.

Other Accidents

A great variety of accidents can result in very serious injuries and even death. Any serious injury should be followed up through consultation (as soon as possible) with an experienced personal injury attorney at Heiting & Irwin.

Contact a Riverside Personal Injury Law Firm

Schedule a free initial consultation with a Riverside personal injury attorney at Heiting & Irwin to learn whether you may be eligible for financial compensation after an accident. You can speak to a Riverside personal injury lawyer by filling out an online contact form or by calling us today at (951) 682-6400.