Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and family, but unfortunately each year holiday celebrations lead to personal injury in Homestead and other communities. If you want to avoid injury this Thanksgiving, ensure that you:
1) Take steps to prevent fires. With all the cooking going on during the Thanksgiving holidays, fires are a real concern. Make sure that you have a working fire alarm in your home as well as a working fire extinguisher. Review your fire escape route, and make sure that stoves and ovens are supervised at all times while you’re cooking. Even if you will be cooking a turkey at a very low setting over many hours, ensure that you supervise closely to prevent a fire. If you are decorating with candles, make sure that you do not leave the candles unattended.
2) Work to prevent food related injuries. Food poisoning and other food related injuries are common during Thanksgiving. To prevent this, make sure that you keep all cooking and food preparation surfaces clean. Wash your hands and disinfect food preparation areas regularly. Make sure that you cook your turkey and other foods to the required temperatures and always follow instructions for careful cooking. Wrap up leftovers promptly and refrigerate them.
3) Plan ahead for family members who are young and visiting your home. If children will be visiting you this holiday, take steps to prevent child injury in your Homestead home. Check to make sure that any decorations you have are not dangerous to children. For example, if you have candles make sure that they are not placed on table cloths they can be easily pulled down by a child. Make sure that other Thanksgiving items do not contain small parts that can pose a choking hazard. Walk through your home as you plan your holiday events and make sure that your house is childproof.
4) Treat elderly loved ones with extra care. Elderly loved ones are vulnerable to slip and fall injuries in Homestead as well as many other injuries. If you have a senior visiting your home, make sure that rugs and other decorations do not pose a fall hazard. Consider installing grab bars in the bathroom, if needed, to make sure that an elderly loved one can visit safely.
5) Secure your property. Avoid accidents and premises liability claims by keeping walkways clear and well-lit. Make it easy for guests to arrive at your home and find their way to your door. If you have a pool, make sure that it is protected by a self-locking gate and fence.
6) Do your part to prevent drunk driving accidents in Homestead. If you will be serving alcohol at your Thanksgiving celebrations, offer guests a place to stay for the night or cab fare to get home. Another option is to designate a driver who can take everyone home at the end of the night.
Have you suffered a serious injury due to no fault of your own? Do you know that Florida law allows you to seek compensation in some cases to secure money for medical care, lost time at work, and other costs? To find out more, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free, no obligation consultation.