Fireworks and Fourth of July are a typical pair, but fireworks for any celebration or occasion are a risky and dangerous form of entertainment. Fireworks become an even bigger hazard when the people lighting the pyrotechnics are amateurs who neglect to use basic safety precautions. There is significant room for user error, and a subsequent negligence lawsuit.
Most Firework Injuries Are Caused by Negligence
Anyone can be harmed by fireworks. Add alcohol and irresponsible behavior and the odds of suffering serious injury are even higher. Whether the person lighting the fireworks hurts an innocent bystander, or even themselves, they are acting negligently.
Fireworks negligence cases can involve:
- Personal injury: Huge numbers of people attend town or city fireworks displays every Fourth of July expecting a good time and a beautiful sight. Instead, even though they are in a designated safe area, they suffer an injury because of the event company’s or city’s negligence or premises liability. This can include improper safety precautions, poor supervision of the event, or not obtaining proper permits. Or, you attend a holiday gathering and the host or a fellow guest decides to shoot off fireworks, hurting or even fatally injuring others.
- Product liability: Using fireworks properly but suffering harm anyway may mean the pyrotechnics failed when deployed or acted in a way other than what was intended. The manufacturer could be liable for an unsafe, faulty, or defective product, or a product that did not include adequate safety warnings.
- Property damage: Whether it’s the neighbor lighting illegal fireworks or a sanctioned community event, there can be unintended property damage from fireworks: a car is dinged or destroyed, a roof or home catches on fire, a blaze begins in the grass or woods.
- Use of illegal explosives: Fireworks set off in a state or area where the pyrotechnics are not permitted, or the illegal use of certain types of fireworks can lead to a negligence case. If someone sells illegal explosives or attempts to make their own fireworks and someone suffers harm, that individual can be held liable.
Fire, of course, can be a side effect of fireworks, and the injuries suffered can range from severe burns to traumatic brain injury to death. Most of the injuries caused by fireworks are to the extremities – hands, arms, and legs – but the head, face, torso, and legs are just as susceptible to harm.
Pursuing a Michigan Fireworks Negligence Lawsuit
Most fireworks injuries are caused by misuse, but malfunctioning fireworks and negligence in large fireworks displays can also occur. Things that can happen when fireworks are poorly manufactured, misused, or improperly lit include:
- Premature explosion.
- Unintended explosion.
- Unpredictable flight paths.
Fireworks, even when made and lit properly, even bottle rockets and sparklers, are extremely dangerous. They must be used with caution, malfunctioning fireworks should never be relit, and all safety guidelines should be followed. Sometimes injury occurs even after every precaution is taken by individuals and hosts of fireworks displays.
Showing proof in a personal injury negligence case involving fireworks requires your Michigan negligence attorney to show that the person lighting the fireworks had a duty to act responsibly, violated this duty, and injured someone in the process due to negligence.
If you or someone you love has been hurt or fatally injured because of fireworks, contact Thurswell Law to discuss whether you have a negligence case against an individual, event coordinator, city, or fireworks manufacturer. Call (248) 354-2222 today to schedule your free consultation with one of our experience Michigan fireworks negligence attorneys. We do not charge any fees unless you collect.
