Be Aware of Dangerous Firework Injuries as the Fourth of July Approaches

 Posted on June 21, 2022 in Personal Injury

In 2021, a study was published by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission declaring that injuries and deaths related to fireworks increased dramatically during the previous year. Because many municipalities canceled local fireworks shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more people used fireworks on their own, increasing the danger of an accidental or errant discharge resulting in a serious injury or death. 

To anyone who has never been injured by a firework, the idea that these fun sources of flashy entertainment could cause serious harm may seem laughable. After all, the vast majority of fireworks displays occur without ever causing harm. But at least 18 people died in 2020 from firework-related accidents and more than 15,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for their injuries. Even firecrackers and sparklers, which seem harmless and are used by children all over Illinois every year, are actually responsible for the majority of fireworks injuries treated in the emergency room. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or killed by a firework and require expensive medical treatment, you may want to seek compensation. 

What Are Common Firework Injuries? 

Unfortunately, fireworks most often injure people in areas that are not easily healed. Face and hands are the most common locations that get hurt and include the following injuries: 

• Eye injuries, including partial and total vision loss
• Hand burns, blisters, cuts, and fractures 
• Facial burns, cuts, broken bones, and loss of facial tissue
• Finger loss 
• Ear injuries, including partial or full hearing loss 

These injuries require emergency care and are not always effectively treatable. In cases involving permanent loss of hearing, vision, or appendages, the victim’s life is changed forever. 

How Do Firework Injuries Happen? 

Although many fireworks injuries are self-inflicted, reckless or careless handling of fireworks by friends, neighbors, or local fireworks display workers can cause serious injuries to unsuspecting onlookers. Homemade fireworks present a particular risk to those who do not know the fireworks are not professionally created and regulated. Other times, fireworks are improperly manufactured and explode unpredictably.

Alcohol and drugs also contribute significantly to firework accidents. Of the 18 people who died last year, almost half of them were using drugs or alcohol prior to the fatal incident. A neighbor who gives children fireworks or alcohol around fireworks without parental permission endangers the children and risks being held responsible for any injuries that occur. 

Meet with a Winnebago County Firework Injury Lawyer

If you or your child have been seriously injured by an errant firework, it may be appropriate to seek compensation from the responsible party. Whether you need justice for medical bills, pain and suffering, or loss of life, the experienced Rockford, IL firework injury attorneys are available to help. Call us today at 815-215-7561 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about what we can do for you. 

Sources: 

https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2021/Fireworks-Related-Injuries-and-Deaths-Spiked-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/injuries-and-wounds/6-common-fireworks-related-injuries