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Home fireworks injuries are more common than mass disasters

On Behalf of | Jul 4, 2017 | Firm News, Personal Injury

You sit down with your family to watch the fireworks, and you’re suddenly worried. What if something goes wrong? Fireworks are, after all, explosives. What if one falls into the crowd or goes off at the wrong time? It may be fun to watch fireworks, especially around the Fourth of July, but are you putting your family at risk?

These types of disasters do happen. For example, there was a case where a shell was defective, and it blew up too soon. Inside the shell were rockets, designed to be fired off over the crowd. Those rockets, along with a lot of shrapnel, showered into the crowd. A total of 39 people were hurt.

It’s a terrifying scenario, but it is uncommon. Experts note that way more people are actually hurt while using fireworks and similar explosive devices at home.

In fact, it’s estimated that around 9,125 people are hurt annually in these home accidents. About four people are killed, on average, year in and year out.

There are a lot of things you can do to protect yourself at home, such as:

— Always reading the directions and using fireworks properly.

— Having adults use the fireworks, rather than children.

— Having a hose or a water bucket close at hand.

— Giving up on fireworks that have malfunctioned, rather than trying to light them again.

Of course, in your more public setting, there is less that you can do to protect yourself from a defective shell or a person who sets off the fireworks improperly. If you and your family suffer injuries, you may want to look into your rights to compensation.

Source: FindLaw, “Fireworks Injuries,” accessed June 30, 2017

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