How to Stay Safe During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is next week, but we aren’t here to discuss your favorite turkey recipes. Although this holiday is a favorite for many, it is also inherently dangerous. The emergency room may be the last thing on your mind when getting ready for Thanksgiving, but more people end up there than you’d like to think. From car accidents and cooking fires to slip and falls, today, we are going to look at the most common Thanksgiving accidents and how you can stay safe this year. At Green Law Firm, we want to help you avoid an annoying trip to the ER on Thanksgiving. We understand that accidents are often out of our control and happen in the blink of an eye, but there are numerous things you can do to prevent them.

As one of the busiest travel days of the year, Thanksgiving is no stranger to car accidents. According to AAA, more than 55 million Americans travel over the holiday season, which is the most people on the roads since 2005. This is a 2.9 percent increase from last year or 1.6 million additional people on the roads. But Thanksgiving Day isn’t the only a busy travel day. Experts say that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving might be even more treacherous.

If you have been injured in a car accident over the holidays, or if you’ve sustained a different injury, give our bilingual personal injury attorneys a call. Of course, you want to take the appropriate steps to avoid an accident this holiday season, but you must know what steps to take if you are injured. We offer free consultations and are here to answer any questions you may have. Proving liability in these types of cases can be challenging, which is where a lawyer can come in handy.

Thanksgiving Accident Statistics

What better way to drive home (no pun intended) how dangerous Thanksgiving is than with some cold hard facts? Let’s look at the most shocking and eye-opening facts about accidents and injuries on Thanksgiving:

• From 2012-2016, over 800 people died in drunk driving car accidents over Thanksgiving weekend
• 51 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from their home on Thanksgiving
• 90 percent of Thanksgiving travelers (45 million people) will travel by car
• 60 percent of Thanksgiving fatalities weren’t wearing a seatbelt
• More than 45,000 people sustain an injury following a Thanksgiving car crash
• No holiday leads to more injuries and deaths than Thanksgiving (followed by Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, and Christmas, respectively)
• There is a 33 percent increase in deaths related to coronary disease over the holidays
• There are more home cooking fires on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year (a 250 percent increase)
• Cooking is the leading cause of home fires year-round
• Car crash rates increase in both rural and urban areas during the holidays
• The U.S. national death rate increases over Thanksgiving and stays high through the remainder of the winter
• The evening before Thanksgiving (“Thanksgiving Eve”) is the biggest bar night of the year
• Black Friday is one of the worst days for traffic and car accidents

We hope these statistics and facts shed a little light on how dangerous America’s favorite holiday is. If you’ve been involved in an accident or sustained any injuries over Thanksgiving, give The Green Law Firm a call and schedule a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable Brownsville personal injury lawyers.

Common Accidents Over Thanksgiving

Yes, traveling on Thanksgiving is dangerous, but numerous things can go wrong at home, resulting in injury or worse. From turkey fryer accidents to grocery store slips and falls, let’s look at the most common accidents that occur over Thanksgiving:

• Slip and falls – The holidays are among the busiest time of year for most grocery and retail stores. From stocking up for turkey dinner to hitting the pavement to snag the best deals on Black Friday, there are more shoppers to compete with than ever. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that slip and fall accidents are plentiful. They can happen due to spills, uneven floor surfaces, poor lighting, or failure to maintain the space.
• Burns – As mentioned earlier, home cooking fires are widespread over the holidays. Often, these accidents result in burns. Burns can range from minor to severe, depending on the circumstance. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are more than 2,100 residential fires reported to fire departments every Thanksgiving Day.
• Cuts – Related to the above, cuts are also quite common on Thanksgiving. From carving the turkey to prepping all the sides, there are many opportunities to sustain an injury from a sharp knife.
• Car accidents – This one should come as no surprise based on what we’ve been discussing today. Not only are there far more people on the roads during Thanksgiving, but many make the unfortunate decision to drive impaired. Other common causes of Thanksgiving car accidents include:
  • Drowsy driving
  • Poor weather
  • Driving while under the influence
  • Traffic volume
• Food poisoning – Food poisoning is very common on Thanksgiving, sadly. In some cases, people mishandle the raw turkey or other poultry or store food incorrectly. Rushing through meal prep can do far more damage to your dinner guests than you may think. Take your time and try and avoid creating a breeding ground for bacteria in your kitchen this year.

These are just five of the most common Thanksgiving accidents. If you’ve suffered an injury or lost a loved one over the holidays because of someone else’s negligence or misjudgment, call The Green Law Firm today. 

Tips for Avoiding Injury This Thanksgiving

Avoid a stressful accident or injury this Thanksgiving with these tips:

• Drive at a safe speed
• Plan and leave plenty of time to get to your destination
• NEVER drive drunk or impaired. Use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, have a designated driver, or make arrangements to stay with friends and family
• Be aware of drunk drivers
• Prepare for heavy traffic and be patient
• Put down your cell phone while driving
• Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition
• Fill up your gas tank
• Use caution in work zones and inclement weather
• Avoid distractions
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking
• Don’t leave your turkey or other food unattended
• Keep children away from the stove
• Keep knives out of reach of children

Suffering an injury can ruin Thanksgiving, no doubt about it. We hope the above tips will help you stay safe, whether you are traveling for the holidays or staying home. If you’ve been injured, contact The Green Law Firm and schedule a free consultation with our experienced lawyers today.