Avoiding Slip and Fall Accidents on your Property This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a great time for everyone, including family, friends, and relatives to gather and share joyful moments together. Many people are busy decorating their homes, shopping for gifts, and completing all the essential tasks to make sure everything is perfect. However, nothing can ruin the happiness and fun of the holiday season than getting injured from an accident. You may not realize it but slip and fall accidents increase dramatically in number during this time of the year.

Conditions Leading to High Risk of Injuries

There are a whole host of possibilities leading to slip and fall accidents during the holidays. One of the main contributing factors is the weather, as snow, rain, or slush make the roads, sideways, and any surface exposed to the elements slippery and dangerous to walk on. People setting up the Christmas trees or climbing ladders to decorate their homes are also at an elevated risk of suffering from an accident. Other factors that may dramatically increase the chances of a slip and fall accident include spills in the kitchen, residue left after packing gifts, and dim lighting, both inside and outside the house, among others.

What You Can Do to Ensure Safety?

A few precautionary measures can significantly reduce the probability of slip and fall accidents during the holiday season. Here are some useful safety tips you should consider to ensure everyone remains safe and unharmed on your property:

Never Climb an Unattended Ladder

If you are decorating your home using a ladder, ask someone to hold it for you so that it remains stable. Ladders come with a safety instruction manual as well – be sure to go through it to use them safety. Lastly, if you have kids around the house, never leave the ladder unattended – always put it away at a secure place when it is not being used.

Pay Attention to Your Outdoors

If you are hosting a Christmas party or gathering at your home, be sure to check the condition of walkways, driveway, and stairs outside your home. Remove all ice and snow, and clear the path to the door for your guests to reduce the risk of a slip and fall accident. If there are any uneven surfaces, have them repaired beforehand as well.

Keeping Doormats

Since your guests are likely to carry ice, snow, and water into your home, it can quickly make your hallway slippery, creating a hazard for people arriving late or leaving your home. It is important that you keep plenty of doormats in every room so that they can wipe their feet.

Cleaning Spills and Messes

Make sure you tell all your family members to clean up any mess they make when decorating, wrapping gifts, or making holiday crafts. If there are any spills during cooking, wipe them right away so that no one ends up slipping from it.

The team of attorneys at Fisk & Monteleone LTD. wishes you and your family a happy and safe holiday season. If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident due to another person’s negligence, you should contact our personal injury attorneys at 815-209-9030 to schedule an appointment.