Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
During the holiday season, many Coral Springs families are hosting holiday get-togethers or are having visitors in their home. In addition, holidays usually mean more deliveries and delivery personnel arriving at many homes. While it can be great to create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home, an increase of traffic at your house can increase the risk of Coral Springs premises liability claims if someone is injured on your property. There many ways to enjoy a safe holiday season while preventing accidents at your home:
1) Use extra caution if children will be guests in your home. Children are more likely to explore the house and get into possibly risky situations. If you know that there will be young children visiting your home for the holiday season, make sure that you childproof your home as far as possible. Hide lighters, flammable liquids, toxic cleaning chemicals, sharp objects, and other items which can be dangerous to small children. Arrange to have small children supervised at all times by at least two adults to prevent injuries and accidents.
2) Make sure the exterior of your home is well-lit in the evening if you are expecting visitors. Proper lighting can help prevent Coral Springs trip and fall accidents as well as other injuries. There are holiday lights as well as temporary lights that you can purchase at most hardware stores that can help with your lighting needs.
3) Keep pets away from guests and indoors. Holidays often mean more stress for pets, and this can lead to a Coral Springs dog bite or animal attack. When guests visit, keep animals in a separate room of the house to keep them less stressed and to prevent accidents and injuries.
4) Check decorations for fire hazards and injury hazards. Holiday decorations are beautiful, but they can easily turn deadly. When unpacking holiday decorations for the season, carefully check for wear and tear. Any holiday decorations that pose a hazard should be replaced immediately. For example, holiday lights with worn cords and holiday decorations that have small parts which can become detached should be replaced with safer decorating options.
5) Follow food safety guidelines. When preparing food, especially meat dishes, make sure that you follow instructions for heating time and temperature. Use a thermometer in order to check that the meat is correctly cooked and wipe down cooking surfaces as well as food preparation surfaces often to prevent cross contamination. When preparing food and handling raw meat, wash hands often to prevent bacteria from spreading. When you serve food, make sure that hot dishes are served very hot. Wrap up leftovers promptly and store them correctly in the refrigerator to ensure that they do not cause food poisoning.
6) Check for trip and fall and slip and fall hazards. For example, check to make sure that rugs and carpets are secure and that pathways and flooring surfaces are clear of objects that could pose a tripping hazard. Outdoors, make sure that walkways are clear and even, offering a safe path for visitors.
7) Secure your pool area. Coral Springs pool injuries and near drowning can still be a danger during the winter. If guests will be using your pool this winter, make sure that the pool area is safe to use and is supervised at all times. If your pool is closed up for the season, make sure that you use an alarm and a self-locking gate to keep children and other visitors from the pool area.
If you are injured during the holidays and need to speak with a personal injury attorney, you can contact the Flaxman Law Group at any time to arrange for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your case.