This Halloween, if you plan on decorating your home and having trick-or-treaters over, you are most likely also looking to protect their safety as well. Not only should you do this, but you are legally obligated to. The law requires all property owners to ensure their property is safe for all who enter it, provided they are not trespassing, and in some cases, even trespassers can file premises liability claims against homeowners. For this very reason, you should continue reading and speak with our experienced Maryland personal injury attorneys to learn more about Halloween safety, as well as how our firm can help if you or your child are wrongly injured on someone else’s property this Halloween. Here are some of the questions you may have:
How can I ensure my property is safe this Halloween?
This Halloween, you should take the following steps to ensure your property is safe:
- If your steps are wobbly or defective in any way, ensure you repair them before the 31st.
- Ensure that all walkways leading up to your door are sufficiently lighted so children and parents can see any potential safety hazards.
- Do not put Halloween decorations in the walkway, as children can easily trip over them.
- Clear all flower pots and other things on your porch/walkway out of the way.
- If you have jack-o-lanterns with candles, ensure they are not in the way, as if a child kicks one over by accident, it may start a fire.
- Keep all pets inside.
- Never hand out expired candy.
What should I do if my child is hurt this Halloween?
If your child is hurt this Halloween, you should do everything in your power to document the incident so you can bolster your chances of winning a future personal injury claim. To start, you should notify the property owner of the injury, and from there you should take pictures of the injury and of the safety hazard that caused the accident, From here, you should ask any witnesses for their contact information so they may corroborate your claim at a later date. Once you do, you should take your child to the hospital for medical treatment and ensure you receive all medical documentation concerning your child’s injuries. Finally, you should retain the services of an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney who can gather and present all additional evidence needed to satisfy the burden of proof on behalf of your child.
CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED MARYLAND FIRM
The legal team at Markey & Orsi has proudly represented injured clients throughout the state of Maryland for almost 30 years. If you have been injured due to another party’s negligence and require strong legal representation, contact Markey & Orsi today to schedule a consultation.
