A Safer Super Bowl Sunday

This Sunday is Super Bowl LI or 51 for those of you, who like me, only do Roman Numerals to a point. This year’s match-up pits the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons in a showdown in Houston. Whether you are hosting a Super Bowl party or attending one, here are some tips for staying safe this Super Bowl Sunday:

Do not drive drunk. Obvious, right? You would think so but folks keep doing it. Drunk driving kills someone in this country every 51 minutes. And every two minutes, someone is injured in a drunk driving accident. If these statistics do not scare you enough, maybe this one will: if you are arrested for drunk driving, your legal costs will average $10,000.00. Sleep over at your friend’s house, call Uber, Lyft, a taxi, or ride home with a sober friend. Just don’t drive drunk.
Even if you are sober, you still present a risk to yourself and other drivers if you use your phone while driving. Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year as a result of texting and driving. Wait until you get to your destination to brag that you beat the spread or post the party photos to Facebook.
If you are hosting a party, inspect your home for any hazards. For instance, if you are expecting small children as part of your guests, make sure dangerous or poisonous products (things like cleaners, e-cig liquid refills, etc.) are out of reach. Repair the loose stairway railing. Turn exterior lights on so folks can see better as they come and go. If you can’t repair it, post a sign or some other warning so guests can avoid the hazard.
If you have a dog and he is not properly socialized, put the dog up and away from guests as dogs can feel more territorial in their home. Dog bites can cause devastating injuries especially in children and dog owners may be liable for the harm caused by their dog, so be sure your dog is covered by either your home insurance or a separate policy. But in the short run, don’t take a chance. Let Fido watch the game in another room.
If you are hosting the party and serving food, practice good food handling practices to avoid food poisoning. Cook food to the proper temperature. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. If food does sit out at room temperature, dispose of it after 2 hours.
As a general rule, social hosts do not have any liability if someone drinks too much at your party and injures themselves or someone else unless that person is a minor. Do not let underage guests drink at your party. Click here for more information on the liability of social hosts who serve alcohol.

Of course, as a Wisconsinite, I was rooting for the Packers and was sad to see them lose, especially so soundly, to the Falcons. But I am still looking forward to the game and the commercials. I hope you have a fun and, more importantly, safe Super Bowl Sunday. But if you or a loved one should be injured, we are here. So give us a call at 866-812-8787 (toll-free). We handle all accident cases on a contingency basis so we only get paid if we win, and we advance all case expenses so you will never pay a penny out-of-pocket to pursue your case.