san francisco home fireworks injury | Northern California Personal Injury Blog

June is National Fireworks Safety Month

By Kelly Balamuth on June 6, 2012

The month of June focuses on fireworks safety, since fireworks injuries are most common between June 1 and July 4 each year. According to Prevent Blindness America, eye injuries are frequent with fireworks, as are burns and other serious injuries. Children are at special risk for fireworks injuries, since they are often captivated by fireworks but do not yet understand the dangers of these hot, exploding objects.

To help protect those you love from fireworks injuries this summer, here are a few safety tips:

• Check the fireworks laws and ordinances in your area. Many state and local governments prohibit certain types of fireworks most likely to cause injury, or require special fire precautions be taken. Always follow these rules, since they often provide important safety protections.
• Do not let children play with fireworks. Even hand-held fireworks like sparklers can reach temperatures over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, causing serious burn injuries in northern California. Never let children play with, hold, or light fireworks.
• Designate one adult to light all fireworks, and set up a fire-resistant area for fireworks lighting. Keep everyone else several yards away from this area, and keep a fire extinguisher or hose handy in case fireworks get out of control.
• Consider skipping home fireworks. Instead, go to professional fireworks shows, especially around the fourth of July. While there is still a risk of injury at these shows, it is much less of a risk than that posed by fireworks you would use at home.

Even though many kinds of fireworks can be bought legally in California, they can still be dangerous and cause serious injuries. If you’re injured by defective fireworks this year, don’t hesitate to call a practiced Walnut Creek dangerous product injury lawyer at Balamuth Law. We’ll help you find out what happened and seek the compensation you need. Call us for a free telephone consultation at (888) 254-1234.