With beautiful weather and amazing white sandy beaches Florida is a vacation hot spot, with residents of the Great State of Florida and tourists from all over the country and the world coming down to Florida for Spring Break and vacations throughout the year to enjoy everything Florida has to offer. Spring break vacationers and others will be enjoying our beaches, water parks, zoos, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, amusement parks and even a few games at baseball’s spring training. The fun is never-ending for all age groups.
However, the team at Shiner Law Group wanted to make sure you had the information and tools to protect you during spring break or your vacation by providing you with helpful reminders on how to avoid injury and a few safety tips. Unfortunately, injuries can occur and if you find yourself with an injury the personal injury attorneys at Shiner Law Group are here to help.
Common Types of Spring Break Injuries
Slip and Fall or Trip and Fall – hotels, bars, amusement parks, sidewalks, and paths to beaches and water-ways and other venues you may visit during your vacation to Florida have an obligation to provide a safe establishment and walk-ways from foreseeable danger. Fall accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, all it takes is a slippery floor, a fallen chair in a dark bar, rope line twisting up or even uneven sidewalks which should have been fixed.
Vehicle Injuries – distracted driving, drunk driving, road hazards, traffic congestion, road closures or sleep deprivation are some of the causes of the motor vehicle accidents we see during spring break each year. When you are not aware of your surroundings, not familiar with the roads, drinking and getting behind a wheel, or tired from being out so late, avoid drinking before getting behind the wheel of a car, take turns driving, stay off of your phone, be aware of your environment and never assume others are paying attention.
We advise our friends to drive slowly, especially when you do not know where you are going or with road closures due to spring break-related events, and keep an eye out for pedestrians, especially near the beach areas. Remember do not drink and drive. Also, if you are driving long hours, make sure you either take breaks or switch drivers.
Water related Injuries – while enjoying the day at the beach, a pool, a pond or lake, or a water park you should be cognizant of the potential for drownings, also at pools and lakes pay attention to the warning signs which indicate the depth, there have been instances where swimmers jump in and hit their heads on the bottom of the pool or lakebed. Knowing the body of water you are about to swim in or enjoy is critical before you go in. There have also been incidents of trips and falls when running on the beach and twisted ankles when falling into a hole in the sand. Read more about water-related injuries here.
Amusement Park Injuries and Water Park Injuries – vacationers should pay close attention to motorized chairs especially in Florida, where grandparents are at the park with their children and grandchildren, sometimes not watching where they are driving. Also, here in Florida where the weather tends to change quickly park goers should watch where they are going or running to in order to avoid slip and falls or other types of dangerous conditions. Read more about amusement park injuries here.
Alcohol Related Injuries – Vacationers tend to let loose during the spring break vacations, however excessive alcohol is one of the leading causes of accidents during spring break and other vacations. Alcohol Poisoning, Drunk driving, bar fights, and trip and fall accidents just trying to walk down the street are some of the more common related injuries caused by Alcohol. It is important to never operate any vehicle if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Violent Crime Injuries – an increase in crime typically comes with vacationers during Spring Break, petty crime leads to more violent crime, also criminals see opportunity with vacationers and partiers just trying to have some fun. Some of the violent crime we have seen is armed robberies, physical assaults, drug-related crimes, and sex offenses. Negligent security cases are serious problems, especially in south Florida and you should always be aware of your surroundings and the local area you visit when going out, especially at night. Unfortunately, criminals can stake out these areas and will prey on people, especially vacationers.
Sexual Assaults (Sexual Harassments or Rape) – When groups of people, alcohol, and vacationers get together sometimes things do not go as planned, always drink with a friend or buddy and make sure never to leave your friend behind even if he or she may have found a new friend for the evening. Never leave your drink unattended and watch the bartenders mixing your drinks.
Bar or nightclub related Injuries – employees of bars and nightclubs have an obligation to ensure you are not over-served, alcohol leads to rowdiness (bar fights), an inability to walk properly (slip and fall), and getting behind the wheel (DUI – Driving Under the Influence), are just some of the causing of bar or nightclub related injuries. If the bar overserved you, they may be liable for damages.
Spring Break Safety Tips
Learn to swim, if you are going to vacation around the water either a beach vacation or going to a water park, boating or fishing in the ocean or just renting a home with a pool or staying at a hotel with a pool learning to swim is essential to enjoy these activities as well as protect you from water-related injuries.
Swim with a buddy, when swimming in the ocean, swim with a buddy, so you can keep an eye on each other, make sure you also swim in designated swim areas or where there are lifeguards present, and pay attention to warning whistles and keep an eye on the warning flags.
- Red Flags – Beach Closed, Swim at your own risk,
- Yellow Flags – moderate surf and currents,
- Green Flags – Calm or clear ocean,
- Purple Flags – Be careful of sea life, usually jellyfish warning
Keep eye contact on swimmers, even if lifeguards are on duty make sure a parent or guardian is always paying attention to the surroundings, do not text or read on your phone when you are responsible for keeping an eye on your children. Never ever leave children unattended. When swimming in a pool area, make sure pool drains are up to date and properly covered and secured. Install a pool alarm to indicate someone has entered the pool if you are not swimming at that time, also make sure the safety barriers are up to protect from unintentional drownings. Follow the rules outlined at the beach or commercial pool and listen to orders of the lifeguards on duty.
Stay Hydrated, being out in the sun can be taxing and you do not want to become dehydrated while swimming or operating a boat. Drink plenty of water, do not forget to eat, try not to skip meals, they are essential in maintaining a strong mind and body. Most importantly drink lots of water.
Avoid Alcohol. Drinking leads to less control over your mind and body, it tends to make one do things they normally wouldn’t do, such as walking up to a 7-foot tall 250-pound biker and yelling at him to wear a helmet, it just doesn’t go over so well. Avoiding drinking helps avoid most water-related injuries as well as drinking and driving injuries, it also helps prevent bar fights.
Protect your skin, wear a hat or head covering to prevent sunburns to your head, wear protective clothing to prevent burns to your skin, wear sunscreen and keep applying throughout the day. Even in cloudy weather, you should protect yourself from the sun.
Check the weather, the weather in Florida can change on a dime, one minute it can be bright and sunny, the next a rainstorm with gusts of wind, keep an eye out for the ever-changing weather to make sure you do not get caught out in a storm.
Protect your valuables, criminals like to hang around vacationers, while you are having a good time, you tend to let your guard down, this is a perfect opportunity for the criminal elements to come in a take things that may not belong to them, like your wallet, watch, phone and sometimes your clothing.
When in an amusement park, take breaks between rides, follow the park guidelines outlined through the park, ensure you are securely fastened into the ride before the ride begins.
Injured In A Spring Break Accident? Speak With An Injury Attorney
If you or someone you know is hurt to no fault of their own please immediately call Shiner Law Group and speak with a professional personal injury attorney immediately. Our law firm takes great pride in making sure you receive the best customer service and have all your important questions answered. Our injury lawyers and professionals are here to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (even on weekends). Call now – 561-777-7700 or fill out our free consultation request form to learn more about our firm and other important information regarding your potential case.
