Halloween is popularly celebrated by children going door-to-door in their neighborhood to trick-or-treat. Unfortunately, with this comes the possibility that children will be involved in a slip and fall accident on a homeowner’s property. So with this holiday, and its associated festivities, fastly approaching, you must ensure that your property is clear of any hazardous conditions. Continue reading to learn what safety tips you should follow this Halloween and how an experienced Kaufman County, Texas slip & fall lawyer at Harrell & Paulson, LLP can guide you in the right direction.
What Safety Tips Should I Follow This Halloween?
As a homeowner, you hold the responsibility of identifying potentially dangerous conditions on your property and fixing them in a timely manner. So, if you are expecting trick-or-treaters this Halloween, it is in your best interest to follow the below safety tips:
Provide sufficient lighting: replace any burned-out bulbs in your exterior lights, and install additional exterior lights where necessary. If you predict that you will not be home for trick-or-treaters, turn off your interior and exterior lights to discourage them from approaching your property.
Clear your walkways: ensure there is no clutter for trick-or-treaters to trip over. If you have Halloween decorations, they should be placed a safe distance away from your walkways.
Distance your jack-o-lantern decorations: if you have jack-o-lanterns as decorations, they should be positioned far away from your walkways to avoid a fire hazard. Better yet, you should use a battery-powered light source instead of candles.
Keep your pets indoors: pets get easily frightened on Halloween. It is best if you keep them in a kennel inside your home to prevent them from running into traffic or biting a trick-or-treater.
What if My Child Is Involved in A Slip and Fall Accident This Halloween?
If your child had a slip and fall on a homeowner’s front yard, front stairs, or walkway, then you may have a premises liability claim on your hands. That is, for a valid claim, the following must be true:
The homeowner knew or should have reasonably known about the dangerous property conditions.
The homeowner neglected to fix the dangerous property conditions in a timely manner.
Your child encountered the dangerous property conditions, which caused them to sustain injuries.
And to prove the above as true, you must collect the following pieces of evidence:
A copy of the police report.
Photos and videos of your child’s injuries, damages, and the dangerous property conditions.
The contact information of the homeowner and any witnesses.
A copy of medical bills and any other medical documentation.
For more advice, reach out to a skilled Kaufman, Texas personal injury attorney as soon as you can.
Contact Our Kaufman County Firm Today
For vigorous defenses for personal injury, criminal, divorce, or estate planning matters, contact Harrell & Paulson, LLP today to schedule your free case evaluation.
