Halloween is quickly approaching. This means that you, as a property owner, must expect that children will soon be walking on your front yard, walkway, and stairs while trick-or-treating. The most important way you can prepare for this is by ensuring that your property is free of any hazardous conditions. Read on to discover what safety tips you should follow on Halloween and how one of the seasoned Bergen County slip & fall accident attorneys at McNerney & McAuliffe can walk you through this.
What safety tips should I follow on Halloween?
According to New Jersey law, you, as a property owner, are responsible for keeping your surfaces clear of hazardous conditions. So, as you expect trick-or-treaters to enter your property on Halloween, you must take the following precautions:
- Ensure your exterior lighting is adequate: replace any burned-out bulbs in your exterior lights, and install additional exterior lights as necessary.
- Ensure your walkways are clear: if you have Halloween decorations, they should be placed a safe distance away from your walkways. This is especially for your jack-o-lanterns as their candles can pose as a fire hazard.
- Ensure your pet is indoors: your pet may be easily spooked on Halloween. So, keep them in a kennel inside your home to prevent them from running into traffic or biting a trick-or-treater.
An important pointer is that if you predict you will not be home to greet the trick-or-treaters, turn off all your interior and exterior lights. This will discourage the children from entering your property.
What happens if my child suffers a slip and fall injury on Halloween?
If your child suffers a slip and fall injury on a property owner’s front yard, walkway, and stairs on Halloween, then you may be able to file a premises liability claim. For this, you must prove the following points as true:
- The property owner knew or should have reasonably known about the hazardous property conditions.
- The property owner neglected to handle the dangerous property conditions in a timely fashion.
- Your child encountered hazardous property conditions while trick-or-treating, which caused them to sustain serious injuries.
And to prove the property owner’s negligence in the above ways, you must have sufficient evidence. Such evidence includes the following:
- A copy of the police report conducted at the scene.
- Photos and videos of your child’s injuries, damages, and hazardous conditions at the scene.
- The contact information of the property owner and any present witnesses.
- A copy of your child’s medical bills and any other relevant medical documentation.
Our competent Bergen County personal injury attorneys handle a wide range of legal issues. And sure enough, we can help you with your premises liability claim. Give us a call today.
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If you require the legal assistance of an attorney to help you through a criminal law matter, personal injury matter, family law matter, or otherwise, contact McNerney & McAuliffe today.
