Hazards can lurk everywhere, even in the home where you go to feel safe and
protected. Getting injured in your own home is bound to happen at some point, but it can go from “a little to accident” to dangerous if conditions exist that lead to the injury of someone else.
In Florida, the law creates protections for people who are injured on someone else’s property. Home, business, and landowners can be found liable if they don’t properly maintain their home or property in a safe condition for guests and visitors.
Here’s what you need to know about common hazards found in homes, plus what you can do to prevent injuries from occurring in order to protect yourself from liabilities.
Common Safety Hazards Around the House
It’s crucial that you do all you can to be safe in your own home. Some of the most common safety hazards identified in homes include:
Falls
Falling is one of the most common ways people become injured at home. Toys scattered around, stairs that are slippery or unstable, wet floors, and even uneven flooring can all be fall hazards that lead to injury – and a personal injury lawsuit.
Fires
Fires are a common occurrence in homes in the United States, even in places like Florida. Leaving candles unattended or even forgetting to unplug your curling iron can lead to a home fire that could injure you or your family, destroy your home, and even damage the residences of your neighbors.
Cuts
Many common items found around the house can lead to cuts – some very serious cuts that require advanced medical care to resolve. It’s vital to keep anything with sharp edges in a safe location both outside and inside your home.
Poisoning
A lot of poisoning incidents occur in homes each year. There are so many everyday products in a household that can lead to poisoning if ingested – it’s no wonder this is a big problem. It’s vital to keep any potentially hazardous items that could lead to poisoning in secure cabinets or storage to decrease the chances of this happening.
Drowning
Many Florida homes have pools, but it’s not just the pool that poses a hazard. Buckets full of water or bathtubs can also lead to drownings. That’s why it’s vital to have safety precautions in place for everyone around water, no matter what form.
Strangling
The cords on your window blinds are a danger to kids, so make sure those are kept in order for the safety of your own children and any that may visit your home.
What You Can Do To Protect Yourself And Your Home
No one is perfect. Accidents do happen. However, you can make an effort to ensure that your home is safe as possible by taking just a few steps:
Keep People From Falling
Pick up toys on the floor, and fix creaky, uneven steps or steps that aren’t supported correctly. Do so both for interior and exterior of your home. Also, clean up wet spots and spills immediately to avoid slip and fall accidents.
Securely Toxic Substances
Keep the substances that could be potentially dangerous if ingested out of the hands of people by locking them up. Medications, cleaning products, and anything else that could be harmful need to be put away, far out of reach of small children and pets.
Put Away Sharps
Any sharp object in your home needs to be kept in a safety sheath, in its own secure location. This includes power tools as well as kitchen utensils. If it’s sharp, then it needs to go someplace safe where others cannot reach it.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and named one of America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators. Mr. Winston is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2020 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite,” recognized by Expertise as one of the 20 Best Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys, named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015-2017, and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida for 2015-2017 and 2019.
