Existing Hazards Amplified by Halloween

Properties pose a variety of accident risks year-round, including tripping hazards, wet floors, misaligned steps, and improperly wired outlets. These hazards result in thousands of injuries every year, but certain seasons amplify these risks. Among those, Christmas and Halloween pose significantly increased risk.

Over the last few decades, Halloween decorations have become more and more involved, taking up more space and requiring electricity. This increase in size and electrical requirements has resulted in two significant problems. One of these, an increased risk of fire due to the use of extension cords and other wiring, can mostly be mitigated through appropriate care. The increased size of decorations is more difficult to manage.

Larger, more involved decorations are implicated in many different types of increased accident risk, including:

• Obstructing stairs and stair line-of-sight, making it more difficult to see if certain steps are in poor repair
• Obstructing sidewalks and other walkways, increasing the risk of a trip-and-fall accident
• Startling individuals, causing them to lose their balance and fall

When designing and implementing plans to use these large, moving decorations, property owners and renters must keep the safety of others in mind. The person placing the decorations should always ensure that there is still enough room to move around them, and that decorations do not obstruct visibility in such a way as to increase the risk of someone tripping and falling.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, and Halloween decorations or other safety hazards made the premises more dangerous, please consider consulting with an experienced attorney. A qualified lawyer can guide you through the process of determining whether or not proper care was exercised in ensuring the safety of the environment, and can help you hold negligent parties responsible for their actions.