Keeping House Safe for Kids During Holiday Gatherings

November 25, 2019

Part of the fun of the holiday season is decorating your home. However, these decorations could put your children at risk of injury. Small decorations could be choking hazards. Children could also burn themselves on candles or knock down unanchored objects that could hit them in the head or cause cuts or bruises.

While your children may know about some of the dangerous conditions in your home, other people’s children may not. If they come to visit, they could injure themselves because of an obstacle or hazard you have not warned them about. Your children could have a similar risk for injury if you visit someone else’s home this holiday season. When children are in unfamiliar surroundings, they often find dangerous conditions.

These situations could easily lead to premises liability claims, as homeowners have a legal obligation to warn guests about dangerous conditions they are not expected to know about.

Precautions to Keep Children Safe

The threat of injury should not rob you of your ability to enjoy the holidays. If you plan on decorating, simply take some precautions to reduce the risk of injury by remembering children do not always understand the risks of their actions.

• Never leave children alone in a room with lighted candles that are within their reach.
• Alcohol should always be kept out of reach of children.
• Gifts boxes containing sharp objects or things that could be harmful if ingested should not be left under the tree.
• Avoid displaying small decorations that can be choking hazards or keep these out of reach of small children.
• Always supervise children when they are putting ornaments on a Christmas tree.
• Make sure small children cannot remove batteries from toys, particularly small button-shaped batteries that are serious choking hazards.
• Use childproof locks or gates to keep children out of certain rooms, cabinets or drawers that could present a risk of injury.
• Talk to visiting children’s parents about potential hazards in your home so they can warn their children.
• Hang fragile, breakable tree ornaments near the top of tree out of the reach of children.
• Put your dog in another room if you are concerned about the dog biting children. Keep a close eye on your dog if it is playing with small children. Sometimes small children do not realize when they are irritating a dog and the dog may be about to snap.
• Explain to small children to stay clear of where you are cooking, particularly the oven. Keep hot food away from the edges of counters.
• Carefully review instructions for toys you are giving as gifts. This should alert you to the potential risks of the toy so you can prevent injuries.
• Consider replacing any plants that could be harmful if ingested or at least get them out of reach of small children.
• Turn off lights on the inside and outside of the house at night before going to bed.
• Check for any tripping hazards, such as extension cords for plugging in lights.
• Make sure to quickly clean up spills that present a slip and fall hazard.

Were You Injured on Another’s Property?

If you or your child suffered an injury on another’s property and you think it could have been prevented, contact our Phoenix premises liability attorneys for a free consultation. You may be able to pursue compensation from the property owner’s insurance policy for your damages, including medical bills and pain and suffering.

The consultation comes with no obligation to take legal action and there are no upfront fees for having us represent you. We have a proven record of recovering fair compensation for Arizona injury victims ”“ more than $1 billion recovered over more than 27 years.

Call Phillips Law Group to set up your free consultation. 1-800-706-3000