In Indiana, a boy recently lost his hand when he and another boy (12-years-old) found a broken Talon rocket firework. The two lit the firework and were injured by the explosion.
Nearly 25,000 fireworks have since been recalled for being overloaded with pyrotechnics. These pyrotechnics were intended to make the firework louder, increasing the audible effect. Instead, they caused a larger-than-expected explosion.
Firework safety tips
Follow these safety tips to make your firework use as safe as possible.
- Follow the instructions on the package
- Do not let children use fireworks
- Keep fireworks away from hazardous areas
- Never reignite used or malfunctioning fireworks
Even if you follow these safety tips, there is no guarantee that fireworks will not cause harm. In 2017, there were approximately 12,900 people treated in the emergency room for injuries sustained from fireworks.
Know your rights
Even if you are injured by fireworks due to user error, you might be entitled to compensation. If you can prove that a defect caused the injury, it may not matter if user error was involved or not.
The manufacturer, importer and retailer could all be held responsible for firework malfunction. All of these parties may be held liable because they must ensure that their products are well functioning.
In this case, although the boy was not following safety instructions, he may still be able to recover damages from the retailer because they sold fireworks that violated the federal regulatory standards.
Anyone who purchased these defective fireworks should refrain from using them and return them to the retailer for a full refund. If you have been harmed from an incident like this, you may want to reach out to an attorney for guidance.
