New York Injury Lawyer Blawg

New York City Personal Injury Lawyers wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable Independence Day weekend.

With a little extra time off from work, perhaps, many New Yorkers will hit the roads, possibly traveling to the Jersey Shore or up to Connecticut or Upstate New York for some time away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

And they won't be alone. AAA predicts that some 39 million Americans will be traveling more than 50 miles from their homes this holiday weekend, which is actually down from 40 million in 2010. The organization predicts the drop because of an average $1 increase in gas prices nationwide.

What that says to our lawyers is that New Yorkers may be at any additional risk for car accidents in New York. Vehicle accidents can cause devastating injuries that cause hefty medical bills to pile up.

It is best to practice defensive driving techniques in order to keep your family safe if traveling this holiday season. Here are some common sense driving tips:

• Wear your seat belt
• Use your headlights
• Always use turn signals
• Look twice to make sure drivers aren't in your blind spot
• Keep your tires properly inflated
• Don't drink and drive

But if your family plans on sticking close to home this holiday season, keep in mind there are safety hazards even if you're not driving.

Swimming pool accidents: With the summer months here, children are probably clamoring to get into a pool, either at their own house or at a community pool. Keep in mind that running along the edges and slipping can cause brutal injuries, including broken bones and brain injuries. So, be safe at the pool.

And this especially goes for young children, who are most susceptible to drowning. From 1987 to 2007, there were 32 drownings at regulated swimming facilities in New York City. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 30 percent of children nationwide ages 1 to 4 who died from unintentional injuries drowned.

Keep your child within an arm's length and never leave them unsupervised. Make sure children aren't able to wander near a pool that isn't secured by a fence or locked down. And keep emergency equipment and a phone nearby.

Fireworks injuries: Even though New York prohibits the sale of fireworks, people will surely go over state lines to purchase personal fireworks. New York Personal Injury Lawyers recommends watching an official fireworks display because even owning fireworks is a crime in New York.

Fireworks can cause injuries not only to those operating them, but also onlookers. The CDC reports that in 2007, 7,000 people were injured in fireworks accidents and seven people died. Eyes, hands, fingers and legs are most commonly injured and the injuries range from cuts to burns and even vision loss.