Black Friday Injuries & Safety Tips For Holiday Shopping
With the winter season, comes many American Holidays that many people shop for. Bank accounts are being emptied, lots of food is being consumed and people are rushing to finish errands. Some of those errands may be shopping for gifts. Many Americans recognize Black Friday for Holiday shopping deals. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving where people shop online or go in-person to a retailer. Shopping in-person can be especially dangerous during that time because of large crowds waiting at the same time to get the best deals. This may cause Black Friday injuries.
Many businesses have now transitioned to e-commerce shopping but that doesn’t mean people don’t shop in-person on Black Friday anymore. Why do Americans make such a big deal about Black Friday? Are the Holiday deals really that good? Well, to uncover the answers, let’s talk about why Black Friday exists.
When Did Black Friday Start?
The day of Black Friday made its debut back in September 24th 1869. The term “Black Friday” started on Wall Street where Jim Fisk and Jay Gould caused the stock market to crash when they drove up the prices of gold. The name “Black Friday” was a negative term to represent the day where shopaholics go crazy. The day is so crazy that it causes people to get involved with Black Friday injuries.
It then became linked to retail after stores were “in the red” for the entire year, which indicated poor sales and a deficit in the monthly revenue. However, the day after Thanksgiving, retailers were “in the black” after the influx of shoppers spent their money on discounted goods. This generated a significant increase in profits for retail stores. The first Black Friday was in Philadelphia around the 1950s. The city used the term to describe all of the shoppers from the suburbs that went down to Philadelphia in the days after Thanksgiving.
Present day, Black Friday is now a casual day of shopping instead of a negative idea. People wait in lines earlier and earlier every year because retailers are opening their doors sooner. Now, Black Friday deals are offered on Thanksgiving Day or sooner. During the 21st century, many people have transitioned into shopping online. Nonetheless, people still go out on Black Friday for the experience. In order to understand how dangerous shopping is on this day, we found injuries statistics from years past.
Black Friday Injury Statistics
You may have heard about those crazy stories or movie plots where people are knocking doors down to get the best shopping deals. Black Friday injuries are in the story headlines of news articles every year.
In 2019, before COVID-19 (when many people did Black Friday shopping in-person), 114.6 million Americans participated in Black Friday shopping. Moreover in 2006, 11 people died from fatal incidents and more than 100 suffered Black Friday injuries. Whether it was assault, a slip and fall or being trampled, they suffered injuries by accident. Of those injuries and even fatal accidents, 69% happened while inside the stores, while about 20% happened at the store entrance, and 11% are outside in the parking lot. Stores have a duty to keep their customers safe on their premises.
So whether they are at fault or not for customer’s injuries, depends on a lot of factors. We’re not trying to scare you away from shopping in-person that day. We want you to be prepared if you do so. You could be one of those shoppers around a mall or a retail area, or you could be working during the day after Thanksgiving. Regardless of your situation, here are ways you can stay safe while shopping in-person or working on Black Friday 2021.
Safety Tips to Prevent Black Friday Shopping Injuries
There are a few steps you can take to ensure you have a safe weekend. First, make sure your phone is on hand and fully charged before shopping. Moreover, invite friends or family to go with you, so you can shop in pairs. Shopping in the daylight is safer, therefore plan accordingly. If you drive, make sure to lock your vehicle. Furthermore, don’t leave any valuable belongings in your vehicle.
Be sure you have a purse, bag or wallet that is secured shut. Make sure to only bring the necessary credit cards with you and limit the amount of cash you have. If you have kids with you, keep a close watch on them. Also, it may be tempting to use the store’s public Wi-Fi but if possible, refrain from it. Public Wi-Fi sources are easily hacked into to access personal information on your phone. If you have to use the public Wi-Fi, do not access personal information such as your banking account. Once you are done shopping, stay aware of your surroundings as you leave the store.
Do not ask for stranger’s help to load your vehicle. This is one of the reasons why we encourage you have a group of people or someone you know who can load the car for you if you are unable to. Lastly, if possible, we recommend shopping online to avoid the possibility of Black Friday injuries. Many stores offer online shopping with the same Black Friday deals and in fact sales that start sooner than Thanksgiving Day. However, if you are planning on shopping in-person, please stay safe.
If you ever suffer from a premises liability injury, contact a knowledgeable attorney. You may never know what compensation you are entitled to, until you contact an attorney. In addition, you are working during this Black Friday 2021, and you suffer an injury while on the job, you are entitled to compensation. You should contact a workers’ compensation attorney.
Suffered an Injury-Causing Accident? Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
There are many factors to consider when suffering from Black Friday injuries or premises liability injuries. The store could be negligent, a specific person may be negligent; it all depends on who was involved, where it happened or what caused the accident. Call a lawyer for free consultation so you’re not left wondering what injuries you suffered and what kind of case you may have: 202-933-1918. We recommend filing a personal injury claim right away because of factors like Statute of Limitations. You want to focus on the Holidays, so don’t be left dealing with an injury alone.