Firework Injury Compensation Claims

You may be able to make a firework injury compensation claim if you’ve been burnt by a firework or injured in another way due to somebody else’s carelessness.

Fireworks are essentially explosives. Worse still, they can be quite unpredictable. Even if you do everything you can to protect yourself and your family, you could get injured because of somebody else’s carelessness. If you’re lucky, you may get away with mild burn injuries. Most times, however, these injuries can have severe, long-term consequences including permanent scarring and disfigurement, eyesight or hearing loss, or nerve and muscle damage. The emotional and psychological impact of injuries from fireworks can be just as devastating.

Where And How Do Firework Accidents Happen?

The two most common reasons for firework injuries are disregard of safety protocols and faulty fireworks. Firework related accidents can occur at organised public events such as on bonfire night and New Year’s Eve, as well as private fireworks displays.

Firework Injuries At Organised Public Events

Organisers of large public fireworks displays are required to adhere to strict health and safety policies. As part of their legal duty of care, they are required to put measures in place to ensure the safety of the spectators as well as their staff. If any spectator is injured at a public fireworks display, the organiser may be held liable for negligence and ordered to pay compensation to the victim/s.

If you or a loved one were injured at a public firework display, you must report it to the organisers as soon as you possibly can. Get the name and contact details of the person you reported the accident to along with a written acknowledgement of the complaint. You should also take photographs of your injuries and ask for contact details of anybody who witnessed the accident.

Firework Injuries At Private Events

Fireworks are sometimes included as part of the festivities in private parties held to celebrate milestone events or certain festivals. At such events, the smaller space and lack of regulations can increase the risk of getting injured. Faulty fireworks or inadequate lighting instructions or safety warnings add to the risk. If any firework malfunctions and injures somebody, the manufacturer may be held liable. When you buy fireworks for a party you are hosting, always keep the receipt as well as packaging and the instructions for use that come along with your purchase.

Although not so common, you may also sustain injuries if someone throws a firework at you directly. Regardless of whether this was done deliberately or unintentionally, setting off fireworks in the street at any time or throwing them at someone is illegal. If you are injured because of somebody else’s wrongful act, you should file a police complaint at the earliest. You may be entitled to claim compensation through the CICA and the police complaint will serve to support your claim.

Regulations Regarding Fireworks Use In The UK

In the UK fireworks are governed primarily by a range of statutory controls including:

• The Fireworks Regulations 2004
• The Firework (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2004
• The Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015
• The British Standards BS 7114

Each of these regulations covers specific aspects regarding the use of fireworks. In general, all fireworks-related laws emphasise that anyone hosting an event where there are fireworks involved has a legal obligation to ensure the safety of their guests, visitors, spectators, and staff. This applies to private parties as well as commercial fireworks displays.

Making A Firework Injury Compensation Claim

The best way to get started with a firework injury compensation claim is by contacting personal injury solicitors who offer free consultations. This way they can answer whatever questions you might have, discuss your chances of receiving compensation and advise you on how to proceed at no cost to you. If a solicitor advises you to start a firework injury claim it will likely be using a No Win No Fee agreement.

How A No Win No Fee Agreement Works

A No Win No Fee agreement is a legal contract that aims to extend legal assistance to accident victims while also easing any financial burden. In simple terms, our No Win No Fee agreement works how you might expect, you don’t pay anything unless the claim is settled in your favour and compensation is paid. The amount you would pay if your firework injury claim is successful is calculated as a percentage of the compensation awarded and is deducted directly from it.

How Much Compensation For A Firework Injury?

As you might expect there isn’t one definitive answer to this question as injuries from fireworks can differ immensely. You can, however, use the compensation calculator provided below to see what levels of compensation are generally advised for various different injuries. The calculator refers to general damages only and doesn’t take into account what your solicitor would need to calculate in relation to special damages, the difference of which are explained here.

As part of your firework injury compensation, some things you may be able to claim for include but are not limited to:

• Pain and suffering
• The total cost of medical treatment, including short and long-term corrective surgeries, physiotherapy, and counselling
• Travel expenses related to medical treatments for your injuries
• Loss of wages from being unable to go to work
• Cost of visual or hearing aids from loss of vision or hearing caused by the firework accident
• Cost of structural adaptations to your home or vehicle that are necessary to overcome mobility limitations caused by your injuries
• Cost of care if you need home care visits or counselling
• Compensation for loss of quality of life

If you or a loved one were injured in a firework-related accident and would like to discuss with an experienced personal injury solicitor making a firework injury compensation claim then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.