Attorney
Are you hosting a Thanksgiving party this week? Make sure that you take precautions to avoid food poisoning and have sober rides available to guests.
Remember, you can be held liable if a guest falls ill due to something you serve. Additionally, if someone leaves your party intoxicated, and injures or kills someone in a vehicle accident, your role in serving him or her alcohol could be investigated.
Last year, USA Today reported that vehicle accidents actually increase on Thanksgiving eve due to the number of people on roadways, bad weather and drunk driving.
The newspaper reported that a study by insurer Progressive found that there was a 24 percent increase on Thanksgiving eve in accidents involving parking or rear-end crashes, a 17 percent increase in general collisions and a 14 percent increase in claims involving vehicles that ran into buildings or other private property.
This was in comparison to other Wednesdays at the same time in the weeks prior.
In addition to having sober ride options for your guests, you should prepare food in a safe fashion:
- Make sure you thaw meats properly
- Cook all meats thoroughly
- Avoid cross-contamination (do not store raw meats over produce in your refrigerator)
- Store and refrigerate leftovers (do not allow food to sit out too long)
Our attorneys want you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Make sure that your property is free of issues that could contribute to an accident, like a slip-and-fall. If your walkways contain ice or snow, make sure you clear them before guests arrive.
I Was Injured on Thanksgiving. Can I File a Lawsuit?
Remember, if you are injured in a drunk driving accident, you can sue the driver liable for the crash.
Additionally, if you are hurt in a premises liability accident on another person’s property, you can file a lawsuit. Let our attorneys review your case. We can determine if you may be entitled to damages.
Our attorneys help victims in Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County and Arlington County.
Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.
Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Injury Attorneys
Sponsored by: Attorney William P. Lightfoot
Source: http://www.livescience.com/17169-thanksgiving-food-safety.html