The Fourth of July is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States. People gather together for family gatherings, parties with friends, Independence Day fireworks, and other types of celebrations. The Fourth of July is also a weekend in which more car accidents occur on roadways and elsewhere than on any other holiday during the year. It is also the holiday in which a higher rate of other types of injury causing accidents occur. The top five Fourth of July injury accidents are:
- Fireworks
- Automobile accidents
- Outdoor grilling
- Boating
- Swimming
Fireworks
Year after year, the most frequent type of injury accidents that occur over the Fourth of July weekend are those associated with fireworks. Approximately 5,600 people were admitted to emergency departments across the country during and around the Fourth of July holiday period.
Exploding firecrackers account for approximately 20 percent of all Fourth of July fireworks injuries. Sparklers account for more than 50 percent of all fireworks injuries involving children under the age of five.
Automobile Accidents
As alluded to a moment ago, more automobile accidents occur in the United States over the Fourth of July holiday weekend than any other holiday period. The Fourth of July also accounts for more car accident fatalities as well. An estimated 160 are anticipated to be killed in July 4th car accidents this year. The vast majority of automobile accidents that occur over the Fourth of July holiday period will be caused by drunk drivers. The 2021 July Fourth holiday period includes Saturday, Sunday, and the federal holiday on Monday.
Outdoor Grilling
Approximately 17,000 people go to the emergency room annually as the result of some type of injury accident connected to grilling, according to the Consumer Product Safety Administration. Grilling accidents result in about 10,000 fires each year at people’s homes. A considerable percentage of these injuries and fires occur during the July Fourth holiday weekend.
About 50 percent of grilling related injuries are caused as the result of contact with fire or with something extremely hot associated with a grill. Of the grilling contact injuries, about 33 percent involve children younger than the age of five.
Boating
A trio of holidays account for more than one-third of all boating accidents in the United States, including those resulting in fatalities. These are Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July. Of these high-incidence dates for boating accidents, the U.S. Coast Guard advises that the highest rate of boating accidents is in July. A stunning 80 percent of people killed in boating accidents were not wearing lifejackets.
The Safe Boating Campaign sets forth three simple steps to employ to optimize safety:
- Always wear a lifejacket
- Never boat when under the influence
- Use an engine cutoff device in a power boat
Swimming
Swimming features significantly in the Fourth of July activities for many people across the United States. Drowning accidents spike over the 4th of July holiday. This particularly is the case for children under the age of 15.
There are some very basic safe swimming practices that everyone should bear in mind this July 4th:
- Never, never leave a child unattended in or near a body of water
- Learn to swim
- Teach your child to swim
- Learn CPR
- Have appropriate lifesaving and associated equipment on hand
If you or a loved on are injured in a drowning accident, some other type of aquatic accident, or any time of incident that results in a personal injury this 4th of July weekend because of someone else’s negligence, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. You can connect with our firm 24 hours a day by calling (800) 349-0000.
We can arrange an initial consultation for you with an experienced Doan Law Firm personal injury lawyer. A nationwide law practice, we’ve 40 offices located from coast to coast in the United States. In addition, we can schedule an initial consultation with a personal injury attorney at your home or any other location convenient for you. We can arrange an online case evaluation as well.