Halloween safety imperative to prevent personal injury

Anneke Kurt

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As the spooky night sneaks up on us, it is important to beware of the personal injury or wrongful death that can result from not being cautious on Halloween. According to the Center for Disease Control, the number of childhood wrongful deaths increases four times than that any other night of the year, for kids up to the age of 14. Car accidents involving pedestrians, slip and fall accidents from costumes, or fires started by jack-o-lanterns are all contributing factors leading to childhood personal injury or, sadly, wrongful death. Our Toledo, Ohio personal injury attorneys see the devastating effects personal injuries have on children and families and we encourage parents to take the necessary precautions to make Halloween a safe and enjoyable night for all.

Make sure costumes are the appropriate length and do not tangle in a child's legs. Many personal injuries occur when kids trip and fall over their own Halloween attire. Using make-up instead of masks is a good way to make sure kids can see everything around them. If a mask must be used, make sure the eyeholes are large enough and have kids remove masks before crossing the streets. Encourage them never to run between parked cars and to always use crosswalks when crossing the streets. Children should be supervised at all times, and kids should only approach homes that have a porch light or other welcoming sign. Kids should never enter a home without being accompanied by an adult. Map out a plan of which neighborhoods children will be trick-or-treating in, and make sure that kids have some sort of reflective element to their costumes and carry a flashlight so they can be seen in the dark during their adventure. Keep all jack-lanterns out of paths that kids may walk, to prevent costumes from catching on fire. As always, it is a good idea to check the collected candy before kids eat it. The National Safety Council wants parents and kids to remember this about questionable candy: "When in doubt, throw it out."

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.