Don’t Let Halloween Hazards Turn into Premises Liability

Here comes Halloween!  As a parent, you take steps to protect your children and keep them safe. You recognize the importance of being proactive during this holiday that comes with the potential for injury.

If your household participates in neighborhood festivities by welcoming trick-or-treaters or hosting a party, continue your vigilance and protect yourself.  Premises liability means that , as a homeowner, you have a legal responsibility to keep your property safe and free from any hazard that might cause harm . Perform a safety check-up for your premises. Failure to remedy problems may result in legal action. Remember, you are liable for damages if you knew about the problem, should have realized the potential danger, or actually caused the incident. Protect yourself.

• Light up the home as much as possible. If your house has  excessively dark areas, consider adding flood lights or solar lamps
• Keep walkways in good repair. Broken pavement or loose bricks are accidents waiting to happen
• Keep pets inside
• Repair any broken steps and fix any loose porch railings
• Remove potential hazards such as electrical wires, hoses, toys and lawn decorations
• Use battery-powered votive lights instead of candles
• Patch and/or fill in any divots in the lawn

Conversely, if you , or a loved one, is injured while trick-or-treating remember:

• Seek medical attention, get a medical report
• Take pictures of the area and get the names of any witnesses
• Notify the property owner of your injury, but do not make any statements or comments about your condition

Whether you have been hurt, or someone was injured on your property, contact us for advice as soon a possible. In most cases, the timing could be critical.