Year after year, we continue to see people injured due to fireworks accidents in Kansas. If fireworks have injured you, you may have legal options to help you move forward. Seeking the assistance of a skilled legal team can be extremely helpful when it comes to your ability to communicate with insurance companies and seek compensation.
Our Kansas personal injury lawyers at Peterson & Associates, P.C. have extensive experience helping parties protect their legal rights after being harmed by fireworks. Our lawyers can help you seek total and timely compensation after suffering fireworks injuries due to another person’s negligence.
Contact our Kansas personal injury law firm at your earliest convenience to schedule a free consultation to get started on your case.
Dangers of Fireworks
Although fireworks displays dazzle spectators, the same explosive power can cause serious injuries when companies and individuals fail to take proper care when manufacturing and launching fireworks.
When fireworks have a product defect, it can result in injuries in several ways. Improperly manufacturing fireworks can result in them exploding prematurely, sometimes even before the user can make it a safe distance away. Defective fuses can also ignite the explosive powders inside the fireworks in a manner that was not intended. When fireworks that are designed to soar through the air take unpredictable flight paths, they can severely injure onlookers or hit nearby vehicles and buildings. Whether fireworks are misused or defective, they can cause catastrophic injuries to users.
Common Locations People Suffer Firework injuries
There are many people who suffer serious injuries that cause overwhelming pain due to firework accidents. Some of the most common areas of the body that victims are harmed include:
- Legs: Injuries to the legs are reported in around 13% of cases yearly.
- Head/Face/Ears: Injuries reported to the head, face, or ears are reported in approximately 19% of patients annually.
- Eye Injuries: Injuries to the eyes are reported in approximately 12% of cases.
- Arms: Firework injuries to the arms account for around 1% of cases.
- Fingers and Hands: Fireworks injuries to the fingers and hands are reported in about 41% of cases.
Common Fireworks Injuries
Firework injuries can take many forms. These injuries often have a severe and immediate impact on the lives of victims. Some of the most common injuries caused by fireworks include:
- Permanent disgorgement
- Inhalation injuries
- Loss of hearing, which can be permanent
- Hand cuts, fractures, third-degree burns, or blisters
- The loss of fingers or hands
- Facial cuts, burns, broken bones, and the loss of facial tissue
- Temporary or permanent loss of vision
Although the improper use of fireworks causes the majority of fireworks injuries, they can result in severe and life-threatening injuries to unsuspected onlookers.
If you have suffered severe injuries caused by fireworks, you may have legal options available to help you move forward. It is important that you reach out to our Kansas personal injury lawyers as soon as possible. Our team at Peterson & Associates, P.C., can meet with you for a free case evaluation to discuss your case and the legal options available.
Fireworks accident Statistics
In the United States, thousands of people are negatively affected by fireworks each year. Unfortunately, many victims are left with severe burns, permanent scarring, and disfigurements. Some victims even end up passing away as a result of their injuries. Although most people who launch fireworks do so in a safe manner, there are many instances where people are harmed, especially around the Fourth of July.
According to reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, incidents involving fireworks are responsible for the following:
- At least 18 people have their lives in fireworks accidents each year.
- Over 15,000 people annually seek emergency room services for injuries caused by fireworks.
- Of all total reported fireworks-related injuries yearly, more than 66% occur between June 21st and July 21st.
- Over 44% of fireworks injuries include burns to the hands, fingers, arms, and legs.
- More than 46% of fireworks-related injuries are reported annually on teens and children.
- More than 85% of emergency room visits related to fireworks injuries involve shell and mortar fireworks.
- Most fireworks-related injuries are a result of malfunctioning or misused fireworks.
Various factors contribute to dangerous fireworks accidents. Users who are lighting fireworks must maintain a safe distance from them and keep others away. Following various safety tips can help ensure you, your family, and your friends can have a safe and enjoyable celebration.
Safety Tips to Avoid Fireworks-Related Injuries
Every year, thousands of people across the United States are harmed due to firework accidents. The vast majority of these accidents take place in July. You can do various things to decrease the chances that you will be injured as a result of a fireworks accident. These include:
- Always follow the directions that are on the firework package.
- Never modify your fireworks or experiment with homemade fireworks.
- Make sure that the fireworks that you are using our legal.
- Do not let children use fireworks.
- Always have a responsible adult oversee all fireworks being ignited.
- Keep sparklers out of reach of young children.
- While igniting fireworks, never lean directly on top of them.
- Move to a safe distance quickly after igniting fireworks.
- Never attempt to re-light a firework that has malfunctioned or not performed correctly.
- Avoid throwing fireworks or pointing them at people or other objects in the area.
- Always have an adequate water source close by to help extinguish fires in case of need.
By following these safety tips, you can help to decrease the chances of firework injuries to you and your loved ones. If you have been injured due to a fireworks accident, you may have legal options available to help you move forward.
Reach out to our Kansas firework accident attorney to schedule a free consultation to discuss your accident. Having the right lawyer by your side can make a significant difference in protecting your legal rights and best interests after being harmed.
Your Rights Regarding Fireworks-Related Injuries
If you have suffered a fireworks injury, you may be able to recover compensation for the damages you face. This will depend on the circumstances surrounding your injuries.
In some cases, injured parties may be able to hold negligent individuals or companies setting off fireworks liable for negligence. Liable parties can be individuals, entities that organize the fireworks display shell, or even cities that hire the fireworks companies.
If fireworks are not properly supervised, or those setting off the fireworks do so in a negligent manner, they can be forced to compensate victims for any resulting damages. Even though there are many cities whose liability is limited by state laws, entities that hire fireworks companies still have to provide care to bystanders and protect them from harm.
When fireworks fail to function correctly and cause injuries, those harmed may be able to recover compensation from the manufacturer directly by filing a product liability claim. Other parties who can be held liable include the importer of any foreign-made fireworks or the local retailer who sold them.
Since retailers are legally required to sell products that function correctly, they may be held liable for any injuries or damages caused by fireworks that malfunction. However, it is crucial to understand that most fireworks are produced in China. For this reason, most people have to pursue legal action against local fireworks stand operators to recover damages.
If you have been harmed as a result of an accident, you must seek legal guidance right away. Our Kansas personal injury lawyer can help you pursue legal action against the parties responsible for your injuries or damages. Schedule a free consultation with our team at your earliest convenience to get started.
Proving Negligence After a Fireworks Accident
If you have been injured due to a fireworks incident, you may be able to take legal action against the at-fault party. To prevail, you must be able to prove negligence existed at the time of your accident.
Working with a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer can provide you with the best chances of getting justice after a public fireworks display hurts you.
Our lawyers will be able to prove that the five elements of negligence existed at the time of your accident. This involves showing the following:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care. People are generally required to act in a manner that does not cause harm to others.
- The defendant breached the duty of care that was owed to you. For example, if the person igniting fireworks engaged in reckless and negligent actions, it can be interpreted that they breached their duty of care.
- You will have to prove causation. This means showing that the breach of duty was the cause of your accident.
- You will need to prove the proximate cause. A person who engages in reckless actions while launching fireworks should know that injuries are likely.
- You incurred damages. As a result of the accident, you suffered injuries and other financial impacts due to their negligence.
When it comes to launching fireworks, people who choose to handle them do so with the knowledge that if they engage in reckless or negligent actions, it could cause injuries to others. People who choose to use fireworks have a very high duty of care to others.
If you have suffered a severe injury due to another person’s negligence, you must reach out to our Kansas personal injury attorneys as soon as possible. Our lawyers can meet with you for a free consultation to discuss your case and the legal actions available for you.
Available Damages for Personal Injury Cases
Victims who are injured by fireworks not only suffer from physical and emotional consequences, but they often face significant financial impacts as well. In many cases, injured parties must take several weeks off work to recover.
Covering high medical care costs can be incredibly challenging without a source of income. For this reason, injured parties are encouraged to file a personal injury case against the person who caused their injuries so they can seek compensation to help them move forward.
Working with an experienced lawyer can be extremely helpful when it comes to improving your chances of getting justice after being harmed by someone else’s negligence. The Kansas personal injury attorneys at Peterson & Associates, P.C. have decades of experience helping injured victims protect their rights after being injured.
We will help you negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you can get the maximum financial compensation to cover the damages you face after suffering a serious injury.
Our Kansas personal injury lawyers will help you seek compensation to cover the damages you face due to your accident. Some of the damages we will help you recover include:
- Medical bills for emergency medical care need like hospital emergency room visits, hospitalization, surgery, and more
- Property damage
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages due to taking time off work to recover
- Lost earning capacity from being left permanently disabled as a result of your accident
- Medical bills for long-term treatment like therapy and rehabilitation services
Seeking the assistance of a knowledgeable and fearless lawyer can help to ensure you are in the best position possible to recover while handling this complex legal issue.
Our Kansas fireworks injury lawyers at Peterson & Associates, P.C. will help you recover damages so you can move forward after being harmed. Our lawyers will stop at nothing to ensure you can get the medical care you need and cover other costs you face moving forward. Contact our law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation at your earliest convenience to get started.
Let Our Personal Injury Lawyers Help You Get Justice
Suffering firework injuries can have an immediate and long-term impact on your life. Many people who are harmed as a result of fireworks are forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on medical care.
Covering these and other costs moving forward can be incredibly challenging, especially if victims are unable to return to work for several weeks or even months after their accidents. Rather than moving forward alone, you must seek the guidance of a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer in Kansas right away.
For decades, our Kansas personal injury lawyers at Peterson & Associates, P.C. have stood by the sides of victims who have been harmed in accidents that were caused through no fault of their own. Our team has extensive experience practicing law and fighting to protect the legal rights of people who have been hurt by fireworks. Our team can help you handle your legal issue, get you the justice you deserve, and seek compensation to cover your damages.
Contact our Kansas firework accident attorneys by calling 816-888-8888. Our lawyers can meet with you at your earliest convenience to schedule a free case evaluation to discuss your accident and the legal options available for you.