Trick-or-Treating and Other Halloween Safety in South Carolina: Important Tips from David Blackwell Law.
Out of all the holidays, Halloween is the one where children are allowed to be goofy and have fun with friends outside, dressing up to go trick-or-treating, having parties, and playing fun games while eating sweets. For most people, Halloween is a fun and safe holiday, especially right here in Lancaster, SC, and Indian Land, SC. However, our personal injury lawyers know that some children or parents may not have a fun and safe Halloween if they are involved in an accident and suffer personal injuries. Statistics reveal that Halloween is the deadliest day for child pedestrians. Children are three times more likely to be fatally injured in a motor vehicle accident—except for children between 4 and 8 years old, who are ten times as likely. This is why Halloween safety in South Carolina is important for all.
Here at David Blackwell Law, we want all families to have a fun and safe Halloween. We know that means taking extra precautions to avoid some of the common risks associated with Halloween, such as pedestrian safety, stranger safety, and checking all of your candy before eating it. But our personal injury lawyers in South Carolina want you also to understand that there are many other dangers that you need to be aware of, including slip, trip, and falls or animal attacks, or dog bites. Learn about some of these important tips for Halloween safety in South Carolina to protect yourself and your family.
Dangers of Halloween When Trick-or-Treating
There are many dangers in Halloween than just ghosts, ghouls, and werewolves. Far too many children and adult chaperones are seriously injured or wrongfully killed in motor vehicle collisions, slip and falls, or animal attacks.
Some of the most common causes of personal injuries on Halloween include the following:
Motor Vehicle Accidents or Hit by a Car
Motor vehicles present two serious threats on Halloween. The first is the most obvious, pedestrians hit by cars. This is because there are so many children out, and many may not know to look for threats of oncoming vehicles. Others may wear masks that obscure their vision or have dark costumes on.
These factors can increase the risk of being hit by a car.
The second threat is drunk driving car accidents. Halloween is not just a party night for children but also for adults—especially young adults. While most people use designated drivers or hire Uber, Lyft, taxis, or other services, some make the reckless decision to drive while intoxicated.
This is dangerous for others on the roads, passengers, and pedestrians.
Anytime a person is hit by a car in Lancaster, SC or Indian Land, SC, or anywhere else throughout South Carolina, please call our car accident law firm for a FREE consultation to learn what your rights to compensation may be under the law.
Slip, Trip, and Falls
An integral part of maximizing the candy collected on Halloween is about quickly going up and down as many houses as possible, even as the sun goes down. But on unfamiliar properties, in the dark, and sometimes with long costumes that could have tripping hazards, this part of Halloween is also one of the most dangerous for a slip, trip, and fall. This is especially true if a property owner has a tree that is dropping leaves that may be wet or slippery.
Although all property owners in South Carolina owe a duty of care to ensure their premises are reasonably safe and well-maintained, that is not always the case. Far too many property owners, tenants, and property maintainers leave their premises in an unsafe condition. Whether there is debris or garbage on the ground, wet leaves, broken flooring, poorly lit walkways, uneven sidewalks, damaged stairs, or other dangers, any guest injured on the property of another should ask our personal injury lawyers for a FREE consultation. You may be entitled to compensation under South Carolina law.
Animal Attacks or Dog Bites
Another danger with Halloween is that many homeowners have dogs and other pets. While the overwhelming majority of dogs and pets in South Carolina are friendly, unfortunately, some are not. This includes some that may become excited when people come to the door and ring the bell. This can cause even the most behaved dog to go wild and potentially nip or bite.
Under South Carolina law, dog owners are strictly liable if their dog bites or injures another person. It does not matter if the owner has no knowledge of a prior bite or propensity to bite. Therefore, victims injured by a dog bite in South Carolina should ask a personal injury lawyer for help, like one of ours in Lancaster, SC or Indian Land, SC at David Blackwell Law.
Important Halloween Safety Tips in South Carolina
The risks of motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian knockdowns, slip and falls, trip and falls, or dog bites are real Halloween threats. But some important Halloween safety tips can help minimize or limit your risk.
Some of the best Halloween safety tips our personal injury lawyers in South Carolina want you to know include the following:
- Wear reflective material, even if you are not planning on going out at night (because often the fun continues longer than you may expect, and reflective material can make you more visible)
- Bring a flashlight and make sure the batteries are new/charged
- Go in groups and walk together with people you trust
- Make sure your cell phone is fully charged (important especially for parents!)
- Tell someone who is not going – your plan, where you will go, and the area you will be in
- Have “check-in” times to stop and call a parent or friend to let them know where you are and that you are okay
- Wear rubber-soled shoes that are slip-resistant
- Do not run on other people’s property, especially upstairs or on dimly lit sidewalks (you do not know if a stair is broken)
- Wear lighter-colored costumes, when possible
- Do not allow anything to dangle around your legs
- Make sure you have a designated driver who is not drinking
- Do not accept rides from people who you do not trust or who you may not know if they were drinking or not
- Check all candy very carefully before eating, paying attention to damage to wrappers
- Ensure candy is regular candy and not marijuana candy
- Treat every dog or pet as dangerous, even if they are not, and do not pet or get too close to them, and
- Take all other reasonable precautions.
Were You Injured in a Halloween Accident? We Can Help
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a South Carolina accident on Halloween, learn how our experienced personal injury lawyers in Lancaster, SC, and Indian Land, SC, can help you. Our bodily injury law firm at David Blackwell Law is dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and their families in a car accident, slip and fall, hit by a car, or dog bite. Learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation by calling 803-285-0225.
