Summer is the season for fireworks, as they appear not just on the Fourth of July but also at summer fairs, festivals and sporting events. While fireworks can be enjoyable to watch and can be a great way to commemorate a celebration, fireworks can also be dangerous when the proper safety precautions are not followed.
Recently, an accident at a firework show that occurred 35 miles northeast of Pittsburgh illustrated the dangers associated with attending a fireworks event.
According to news reports, the fireworks show was being presented at a local area high school in western PA on the Fourth of July.
Approximately seven minutes into the show, a shell from one of the fireworks exploded into the bleachers where spectators were sitting at the time. A woman who was in the bleachers watching the show sustained a cut to her head, bruises, and other injuries. There were also two children injured in the incident. The kids sustained puncture wounds when projectiles burst out of the misdirected fireworks shell.
It has not yet been made clear who sponsored the fireworks display that led to the injuries, nor is it clear what company was hired to produce the show. However, it is possible that those who put on the show could be held legally responsible for the accident and made to compensate the injured woman and children.
Burn injuries can be painful and costly to treat, often requiring skin grafting if the injuries are serious. Those liable for the accident could be responsible for paying for associated medical bills and costs of the injured parties, as well as for other losses arising from the incident.
In order to be held legally responsible, those who put on the fireworks show would need to have done something negligent or careless that put the patrons of the show at risk, such as fail to ensure that patrons are seated a safe distance away from where the fireworks are being set off. If any safety regulations or industry best practices were violated, the injured victims may have legal recourse.