Three Gifts That Could Come With A Personal Injury Lawsuit

It’s the gift giving season, and while we all hope that our gifts lead to fun and excitement, sometimes they unfortunately lead to injuries. Now, you may not personally be held liable if your nephew falls off that new electric scooter that you bought him and breaks his arm, but there are some gifts that should be approached with a bit of caution simply because of the possible liability they present. Below, we take a closer look at some of the most common gifts that could eventually lead to a personal injury lawsuit.

Holiday Gifts And Personal Injury Lawsuits

Here’s a look at three toys and gifts that are often given out during the holiday season that can end up leading to a personal injury lawsuit.

Trampoline – Trampolines can be a lot of fun, but they also send thousands of people to the emergency room every year, and they can even lead to paralysis and death. Your child isn’t going to sue you if they are injured while jumping on the trampoline you got them for Christmas, but the neighbor could sue if their child is injured while jumping on your trampoline. If you were not supervising the activity or there were more people on the trampoline than recommended in the safety manual, your neighbor or brother-in-law may take you to court if their child is injured. Be very mindful of how your children and others use the trampoline, and make sure an adult is always there to supervise.

Swimming Pool – Maybe you want to be like Clark Griswold and install a swimming pool with your holiday bonus check. That may be great news to them, but that move will also come with more liability and responsibility for you. Many cities require that swimming pools are gated or otherwise blocked off so that they cannot easily be accessed by children. That’s because a swimming pool is considered an “attractive nuisance” here in Minnesota, and that means if you don’t take extra precautions with a gate, you can be held liable even if someone comes on your property without your permission and is injured in your pool. Similar to a trampoline, make sure the area is monitored at all times while in use, and don’t let others use it when you are not home.

Dogs – You may be thinking about giving your children that puppy that they’ve been asking for for Christmas, but dogs are another big liability. Dog bites send tens of thousands of people to the emergency room each year, and if your dog injures someone, you’ll be held financially responsible for their actions. You can do a lot of training to greatly reduce the likelihood that your dog will end up biting someone, but it’s never completely out of the realm of possibilities, so know that a new puppy could eventually lead to a lawsuit.

We hope that you have a fun and safe holiday season, but every year we handle injury lawsuits involving trampolines, swimming pools and dogs, so know that these gifts could come with a much bigger price tag if things go wrong. Take the proper steps to lower your risk and set some ground rules so that everyone stays safe.

If you or your child was injured on a trampoline, a swimming pool or by an animal, know that you have legal options. To learn about how you can file a personal injury lawsuit to help offset medical expenses, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.