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2022 Motor Vehicle Accidents

Personal Injuries Do Not Take Holidays

The holiday season — no matter how you celebrate — is a time of year typically associated with joy and merrymaking. And while much merrymaking indeed takes place, the excitement of the holidays can cause many to forget that accidents and personal injuries do not take holidays. The Thanksgiving-to-New Year season is particularly ripe for accidents and personal injuries as traveling, partying, alcohol consumption, and other elevated-risk activities increase. If you suffer an accident or injury over the holiday season due to someone else’s negligence, a Tifton accident attorney may be able to help you recover. 

Motor Vehicle Accidents 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 900,000 motor vehicle accidents during the months of November and December 2020. About 250,000 of those involved injuries, while about 6,000 involved fatalities. There are a number of factors that contribute to an increased risk of auto accidents during the holidays, including: 

  • Increased traffic volume due to holiday-related travel 
  • The end of daylight saving time, which increases the prevalence of night driving
  • Inclement weather conditions such as snow, sleet, and freezing rain
  • Increased impaired driving due to alcohol consumption at holiday-related events
  • Improper vehicle winterization and maintenance, which can lead to vehicle malfunctions

While there is no “good” time to be involved in a motor vehicle accident, they can be particularly devastating during the holidays, especially when they result in injuries or loss of life. 

Slips and Falls

Slips and falls are well-known hazards during the winter season for obvious reasons. Many areas of the country — even the South, occasionally — experience snow, sleet, and freezing rain during this time, which significantly raise the risk of slips and falls. But these types of accidents are not exclusively due to winter weather. For example, many holiday parties are known to get quite rowdy; it’s not hard to imagine a party guest slipping and falling on a spilled drink that no one noticed until it was too late. 

Household Mishaps

The normal activities of a busy holiday season — shopping for gifts, cooking holiday dinners, and decorating the house, just to name a few — increase the risk of something going wrong and causing injuries. This can include: 

  • Christmas tree fires, which cause an average of 160 house fires per year
  • Falls from roofs and eaves hanging greenery or lights
  • Electric shock due to aged or poorly maintained Christmas lights
  • Falls down interior and exterior staircases
  • Tripping and falling over toys and cords 
  • Kitchen injuries while preparing meals 
  • Injuries caused by defective products, including toys 

When hosting guests or attending events in others’ homes, keep these risks in mind; the best way to recover from an accident is to avoid having one in the first place. 

Get Help From a Tifton Accident Attorney

If you have suffered a holiday-related accident and injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover for your injuries. To find out how, please contact a Tifton accident attorney at the Hudson Injury Firm by calling 229-396-5848 or using our online form