Found At-Fault for an Accident? How Accident Attornies Can Help

Posted on: 8 October 2015

Halloween is a lot of fun for those who like to scare others, but this year it is important you know where to draw the line between prank and potential harm. The story of a Universal Studios' patron who got too much fright on Halloween night has been reported online, but the more scary stuff involves you as a home owner, and the possibility of potential lawsuits. Here are three things you need to know before the trick-or-treaters arrive at your door this Halloween.

Turn On The Lights

While half the fun of Halloween is traipsing around in the dark, if a person trips and sustains a serious injury while wandering up your dim path there is a potential for a personal injury lawsuit. When it comes to slip and fall accidents, the person suing you needs to show you were negligent in causing the accident, and they can do so if:

• The fall occurred because of a dangerous condition that you as a homeowner should have known about and fixed.
• The fall occurred because of a dangerous condition that you caused.

Placing objects in your pathway that visitors could trip over in the dark is a situation that could put you in the path of a slip and fall injury lawsuit. The best way to avoid this is to light up the path to your front door this Halloween.

Beware The Decorations

At the end of a dry summer, the vegetation in your front yard could be in a tinder-like state. Not only does having too many outdoor candles or electrical lights pose a potential fire risk, but there's also the potential for electric shocks.

When placing decorative strings of outdoor lights around the house, many homeowners reach for the staple gun to attach them to the house, or outdoor trees. The problem with this idea is the potential to puncture the electrical wiring with the staples,and leave it exposed to give those who touch it a nasty zap.

Use proper tree light attaching hooks when you want to bright up your outside decorations. These are attached to your trees first, and then the light strings hang off them. You can find these at both your mass merchant retailers, and your local hardware store. Make sure there are plenty of electrical outlets used when plugging in the lights, so as to avoid any overloading of your circuitry. By taking this evasive action, you can avoid any of your visitors getting a bigger shock than they bargained for.

Be Aware In Your Car

If you need to leave your home to run up the road to buy more candy, you must be extra vigilant while you are out on the road in your car. October 31st has the unfortunate honour of being the day of the year that twice as many kids as normal are hit by a car.

There are two main reasons why this happens on Halloween. Firstly, many children wear costumes that involve masks or head hoods so their field of vision is restricted. Secondly, the combination of excitement and being hyped up on sugar makes children unpredictable, which means they may dash out in front of your car without second thought.

Be extra slow when driving through suburban streets during Halloween, so you are not facing a personal injury claim for a child's medical expenses when November rolls around.

By being aware and sensible this Halloween, you too can enjoy the frightful festivities that will be going on around your home. If you do, however, find yourself on the end of a potential claim, it is best to discuss the situation with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.