I was at a barbeque recently and the conversation turned to Fourth of July fireworks. Knowing they were in the company of a personal injury attorney, someone asked if they should be worried about liability if they host a party with fireworks.
First of all, if you are planning on using fireworks at your Independence Day celebration, make sure you are following all applicable fireworks laws at all times. Violating fireworks laws and ordinances is potential evidence of your negligence if someone is injured or property is damaged during the use of fireworks. Additionally, if you violate municipal laws you can end up with criminal charges. A list of municipal fireworks ordinances can be found here.
Assuming you live in a town or municipality that allows fireworks, make sure you exercise the appropriate level of caution. In the event of an injury, it is important to be able to demonstrate that you took every precaution to prevent injury to others. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offers the following safety tips:
- Don’t allow children to play with or ignite fireworks
- Never try to relight or pick up fireworks that have not fully ignited
- Keep a bucket of water or hose at the ready in case of fire
- Light fireworks one at a time, and back up after lighting
For more information about fireworks safety, visit the CPSC Annual report.
Fireworks can be dangerous and require an elevated degree of care. Nearly 70% of reported fireworks injuries in 2014 took place in the month surrounding Independence Day. We wish you a happy – and safe – July 4th. If you are someone you know has been injured due to negligent fireworks we can help. As always, we only get paid in personal injury cases once we have reached a settlement for you.
— Posted by Attorney Tom Douglas