With the holidays approaching, many South Carolina residents are purchasing fireworks in preparation for their New Year’s celebration. While fireworks provide a great way to celebrate, they can also be very dangerous. Every year, thousands of people are injured in the United States from lighting off fireworks for festivities. That is why, if you are thinking about setting of fireworks this New Year’s, you should educate yourself on how to properly use these devices.
Here are a few safety tips so that you can reduce the risk of injury while using fireworks in South Carolina:
- First, check your local laws pertaining to fireworks before setting them off.
- Do not set off fireworks indoors.
- The majority of injuries related to fireworks happen to children under twelve years of age. Therefore, do not allow children in this age group to handle fireworks.
- If you have other people watching the fireworks, make sure that they stand at a safe distance from where you are setting them off.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby so that you can readily extinguish any fires.
- Wear protective eyewear when you are lighting the firework.
- If a firework does not light on the first try, do not light it again. Set it aside and after thirty minutes have passed, put the firework in water so that it does not shoot off unexpectedly.
While you may have insurance that would cover the cost of any injury or damage caused by fireworks, no amount of money could make up for the emotional effects that a serious firework injury could have on someone.
If you have been injured by a firework in South Carolina, you should consider speaking with a personal injury attorney about the possibility of pursuing an injury claim. Contact South Carolina lawyer Shelly Leeke at 843-297-8485 to set up a free consultation appointment.
