Horrifying Halloween Hazards in Henderson

Halloween is a fun-filled holiday, but scary dangers are lurking around every corner. Unsafe costumes, pumpkin carving, tainted candy, candle fires, and impaired drivers put thousands of people in the hospital every year.

Watch Out for Scary Halloween Hazards

For both children and adults, dressing up in scary costumes, trick-or-treating for sweets, carving pumpkins, and attending neighborhood parties brings fun and laughter on Halloween. However, for many people, a fun-filled night turns into a painful fright night and a trip to the hospital emergency room to treat serious injuries.

Halloween Costumes

Festive costumes are a big attraction for Halloween trick-or-treaters and party-goers, but they’re also a major cause of slip and fall accidents seen by personal injury lawyers. Long costumes and capes that drag the ground, masks, hoods, large-brimmed hats, and big floppy shoes account for thousands of Halloween slip and falls each year. Small children are particularly vulnerable to falls caused by tripping and impaired vision.

Pumpkin Carving

Pumpkin carving is the leading cause of Halloween accidents and injuries each year. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 41percent of knife wounds in 2019 were caused by pumpkin carving on Halloween. To minimize injuries, safety experts suggest replacing sharp kitchen knives with small pumpkin carving tools that come in kits, specially designed for pumpkin carving.

Candy and Sweet Treats

One in 13 children under age 18 has food allergies to ingredients such as milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts, all found in various types of Halloween candy and treats. To avoid dangerous allergic reactions, parents should check all sweet treats and food items collected while children are trick-or-treating or attending Halloween parties.

Candle Fires

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that 36 percent of all house fires are started by burning candles. Every Halloween, Henderson personal injury lawyers see fires started by jack-o-lanterns filled with real candles, costumes and decorations that ignite, and candles that get knocked down by trick-or-treaters or strong winds. To avoid fires and burns, NFPA urges homeowners to replace real candles with safer battery-powered votive candles on Halloween.

Drunk/Impaired Drivers

On Halloween, 44 percent of car and motorcycle deaths and 23 percent of pedestrian deaths are caused by drunk and/or impaired drivers. According to national accident reports, most Halloween drunk/impaired driving crashes occur between 6 P.M. on Halloween night and 6 A.M. the next morning, creating serious dangers for children and parents trick-or-treating or attending outdoor neighborhood events.