Prevent Vacation Accidents: Protect Yourself with These Spring Break Safety Tips
As spring approaches, many people will be traveling to warm, coastal locations to swim and participate in water sports. With these activities comes a list of hazards, but proper preparation and caution can help vacationers enjoy their trip without a hitch.
Below are a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect yourself and your travel companions from preventable accidents during vacation.
- Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming or operating water sports equipment. Even a small amount of alcohol can impair your judgement and cause an accident.
- Look for signs that warn of nearby hazards such as rip currents before spending time in and around natural water settings. These warnings may come in the form of colored flags, which vary from place to place.
- Know the current and upcoming local weather conditions before swimming and/or boating. In coastal areas, storms and high winds can approach quickly and be very dangerous.
- Ensure your life jackets are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, even if you’re a good swimmer or plan to be on a large boat. Businesses that rent water sports equipment should supply appropriate, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
Furthermore, hotels and rental companies often provide lessons to people who rent their water sports equipment. Even if you have experience with the activity, taking them up on a quick lesson can sharpen your skills, familiarize you with the exact equipment you’re about to use, and reduce the chance of getting injured. Likewise, be sure to use the safety equipment appropriate for the activity you’re doing.
Property Owners’ Duty of Care to Prevent Vacation Accidents
Owners of hotels, theme parks, rental companies, and other businesses that cater to vacationers have a duty to provide safe premises at all times. That means protecting visitors from danger and adequately warning them about potential hazards that may come their way. When responsible parties act negligently in this regard, unsuspecting people can be killed or sustain catastrophic injuries.
What to Do After a Vacation Injury Occurs
No one can take back the incident that caused a person’s injuries, but victims can protect their legal rights and hold responsible parties accountable for their carelessness. Contacting an experienced lawyer immediately can do the following:
- Gather all the available evidence to get answers about the accident and the injuries
- Find out who was responsible and how they acted negligently
- Protect the victim’s legal rights
- Start the process of recovering damages from the accident
Getting hurt in an unfamiliar place can make the situation even more overwhelming. Having the right legal representation right away can remove some of these unnecessary stressors, so victims can focus on getting home and recovering.
The law firm of Gay Chacker & Ginsburg represents vacationers who were injured and the loved ones of those killed in swimming, boating, and water sports accidents as well as other vacation-related incidents. The legal team is dedicated to pursuing all possible avenues of recovery for victims to meet their future needs.
Contact our firm for assistance if you or a family member was harmed on vacation as a result of someone’s carelessness.
