Fireworks are synonymous with Fourth of July celebrations. However, in Missouri, there are several restrictions on using, possessing, or selling airborne consumer fireworks. These restrictions also apply to firecrackers, mortars, rockets, and any other device that produces a loud explosion or includes a projectile launch. Due to the danger involved, fireworks set off by people who aren’t professionals can be dangerous and cause serious injuries.
Are Fireworks Legal in Missouri?
You may get permission to use pyrotechnics for a public display by submitting an application online and paying the required fees. Novelty products such as snappers, party poppers, toy smoke devices, glowworms, and some sparklers are allowed. However, your municipality may seize unauthorized gadgets or devices.
Nevertheless, it’s vital to keep in mind that the vast majority of fireworks that cause accidents are legal, while illegal fireworks account for just under 20 percent of fireworks-related accidents. For example, the National Fire Protection Association reports that sparklers burn at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit—a temperature higher than glass, which melts at 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Sparklers also cause approximately one-quarter of emergency room firework injuries.
Dangerous Fireworks Accidents and Personal Injury
Every year around the Fourth of July, we hear reports of fireworks-related injuries. Some injuries are caused by foolish behavior and others by bad judgment, which often involves alcohol.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 12,000 individuals are wounded by fireworks annually, with 8,500 or more of those patients requiring hospitalization. CPSC also notes that over one-third of fireworks-related injuries treated in emergency rooms were sustained by children less than 15 years old.
Worse still, fireworks may cause injuries ranging from small burns to the loss of fingers, damage to the eyes and hearing, and in extreme circumstances, death.
A personal injury lawsuit may be filed if a person suffers a severe injury with large medical expenses and other repercussions, such as a decline in their capacity to work or earn future wages. Several factors may be significant to an injury associated with fireworks including, but not limited to:
- The negligence of the injured victim
- Potential liability by another party or municipality
- The source of the injury
- Manufacturer defects
Why You Might Need Kansas City Fireworks Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one is wounded by fireworks in Kansas City or elsewhere in Missouri, you may be uncertain of your legal rights and wonder if it’s possible to get compensation for an accident involving fireworks. This is when the expertise of a skilled personal injury attorney can help. They can calculate the value of the fireworks injuries and hold the negligent party responsible for your financial recovery.
Our staff at Peterson & Associates, P.C. has decades of experience and unsurpassed competence in successfully defending clients in Kansas City and around Missouri who have been hurt by pyrotechnic accidents. After an accident involving dangerous fireworks and consequent injuries, our legal team may be able to help you seek justice.