October is upon us, and this means that Halloween is around the corner. If you love going all out for this spooky holiday, then you may be one of many Americans who set up a haunted house for your neighbors to enjoy.. According to a 2018 article by CNN, Halloween has the highest number of negligent accidents, excluding auto accidents. Falling down, tripping, and even fires are at the top of the list when it comes to Halloween mishaps. If you plan on having a haunted house, here are some safety precautions to take that will help you avoid putting your neighbors in a situation where they will be forced to call a premises liability lawyer to sue you for negligence.
Have Your Electrical Setup Inspected by a Licensed Electrician
Many haunted houses use lots of electricity to animate their werewolves, vampires, and other creatures that give us a fright. You also have a number of other things that run on power, from lighting to the sound system. Not all homes have the capacity to use so much electricity safely. In some cases, breakers can spark and cause a fire to erupt. Have a licensed electrician come to your property and inspect your power setup so that you can safely open your doors to the public.
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Do a Sweep of Your Property for Tripping Hazards.
Tripping and falling down can cause severe injury, especially if someone is wearing a Halloween costume with protruding parts. Start by inspecting the outdoor portion of your property. If there is uneven ground, or little holes created by critters, you will want to fill all of these in and even out the ground. You can do this on your own or engage the services of a landscaping company to help.
Rent Portable Toilets
If your haunted house is not a part of your main home (such as a ban, garage conversion, or secondary structure) refrain from letting people use the bathroom in your main home. Instead, rent portable toilets. When you give people a reason to enter your home, you open yourself up to the risk of them being injured within it. Even if you convert your main house into a haunted house, rent portable toilets so that you can keep occupancy numbers under control. Groups tend to linger around bathrooms, which is never a good thing when you have people coming in and out all night long.
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Draft Up a Waiver
Go to an attorney and have a liability waiver drafted up. These are certainly not ironclad, but they can be helpful. People will often refrain from suing you if they have signed a liability waiver, even if they have been hurt.
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Post Warnings
Some people can have emotional or psychological injuries caused by a number of triggers. For example, many people have reactions to flashing lights. You need to post warnings so that people know what to expect. If the gore in your haunted house is especially graphic, let people know. Some people might think they are going into a traditional ghost house, but if you have an actor playing the role of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and he’s covered in fake yet realistic gore, you could unintentionally upset people, especially kids. It is prudent to let the public know if there is gore, live actors, chainsaws, or anything else that has the potential to cause distress.
If You are Giving Away / Selling Baked Goods, List Ingredients
Halloween is an occasion to indulge, so if you plan to hand out or sell cookies, cupcakes, or homemade candy, list all the ingredients so that people with allergies can stay safe.
Be Smart With Lighting
Parts of your haunted house will likely be dark, which is fine. Just make sure the low-light portions of the haunted house are in areas where there are no steps or tripping hazards. All stairs and doorways should have some kind of lighting to help people avoid injury. You want to avoid the risk of people filing a premise liability suit.
Lock Up Your Pets
Not only is locking up your pets safer for them, but this can also help you avoid a lawsuit. When dogs are around loud noises and lots of people, they can get excited or scared, which could lead to a bite injury. Keep them in your main home, at a kennel for the night, or at a friend’s house.
Rent Fire Extinguishers and an AED
Finally, you never know when a fire could start, or why – perhaps a candle falls over, or a guest is careless with his cigarette. Either way, it’s wise to always have fire extinguishers on hand. Also, in the event a guest has a medical emergency and their heart has stopped, having an automated external defibrillator (AED) machine on standby will add an extra layer of care. If someone goes into cardiac arrest, call 911, tell them you have an AED, and let them walk you through how to use the device. Most AEDs also provide clear, simple illustrated instructions.
Call The Ryan Law Group if You Get Injured on Halloween Caused by a Negligent Person
If you plan to run a haunted house, follow these tips, and improve your chances of having a fun, safe environment for your guests. However, if you find yourself on the other end and you get injured due to the negligence of another person, call the personal injury lawyers of The Ryan Law Group, and we will make sure you get the right care, and the highest compensation possible.
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