Common Halloween Injuries & How To Avoid Them

Kids are counting down the days until they can get dressed up and go trick-or-treating and between the costumes and all that candy, Halloween can be a lot of fun. But you have to be smart about celebrating because it’s also one of the most accident-prone holidays of the year.

Personal injury experts from Ladah Law Firm in Las Vegas and Gruber Law in Milwaukee reveal some of the most common Halloween mishaps and how to avoid them.

• Pedestrian crashes - Lots of people are walking around on Halloween and not only do kids tend to cross the street without paying attention, their costumes can make it really hard to see well. As a result, the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide finds that kids are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. To stay safe during trick-or-treating, adults need to be extra cautious, make sure kids have glow sticks, flashlights or reflective material on their costumes or bags to make them easier for drivers to see.
• Pumpkin carving problems - This fun tradition is also the source of a lot of Halloween-related injuries, including lacerations and deep cuts from knives and carving tools. To protect yourself, make sure to use tools specifically designed for pumpkin carving, let kids design and draw on pumpkins, but let the grown-ups handle the carving.
• Costume complications - Dressing up in something long that drags on the ground, masks that block your vision and pathways that aren’t well-lit can lead to Halloween injuries like broken bones, sprains and even concussions. Protect yourself and your kids by making sure costumes are practical for trick-or-treating and aren’t a trip hazard and watch those sharp accessories and props.
• Candy catastrophes - Choking is another risk on Halloween, so if you dig into the candy while trick-or-treating, do it while standing still to minimize the chance of choking.
• Potentially dangerous decorations - Burns from decorative candles and those in jack-o’-lanterns are also common around Halloween, so avoid those open flames, especially with flammable costumes.

Read the article at WKRN