The Fourth of July is only a few days away which means many that many people will be lining up to purchase fireworks under the mistaken belief that because they are allowed they are safe. There will also be many people who will completely disregard warnings on certain types of fireworks putting others at risk of physical injury. The bottom line is that any form of firework can be dangerous and cause serious injury if not used carefully. Even when they are used carefully, fireworks can cause severe injury.
Unlike many other states, Mississippi allows virtually all fireworks to be used legally including:
- Bottle Rockets
- Ariel Items
- Skyrockets
- Sparklers and Punks
- Firecrackers
- Missiles
- Roman Candles
- Fountains
These are just a few examples, but they convey the permissive extent of Mississippi law toward fireworks. Fireworks can be extremely dangerous and cause 10,000 confirmed injuries annually with many more that go unreported. Predictably, young adults and small children make up the bulk of these injuries. Children and teens under the age of 15 account for forty percent of all firework accident victims. Almost sixty percent of those who suffer reported injuries in firework accidents are under age twenty.
Many types of fireworks, such as airborne fireworks like bottle rockets, flaming projectile fireworks like roman candles and exploding firecrackers can be particularly dangerous. These forms of fireworks create a high risk of causing serious injury including third degree burn injuries, loss of fingers, disfigurement and eye injuries. Most of these injuries can be prevented if the user is under adult supervision and exercises prudence and caution when using the pyrotechnic device. It is not uncommon for careless users to cause injury to innocent third parties when throwing fireworks, shooting projectiles or causing fires. When someone is injured by the unsafe use of fireworks, the injury victims may have a right to compensation for injuries including those that result in permanent disability like blindness.
There are other cases where a user of fireworks is injured because of defective design or manufacturing of the firework. When someone suffers injury because of defective fireworks, the person may have a right to pursue a personal injury claim against anyone in the production or distribution chain. If you or someone you love is injured in a fireworks accident, we invite you to contact our experienced Mississippi firework accident attorneys. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.
