Halloween – Is Your Property Safe?
With Halloween around the corner, preparations are already underway. From jack-o-lanterns, to special lighting, to inflatable ghouls and goblins, many in our community take their Halloween decorations very seriously.
While decorating your home can be a fun annual tradition, it is also important that you consider the safety of trick or treaters entering onto your property.
The law in Ontario is that as an owner or occupier of a property you are responsible for making it reasonably safe for those entering onto your property. This includes trick or treaters, even if they are underage and somewhat unpredictable.
When preparing for trick or treaters, consider the following tips:
– Have a well-lit pathway from the street to your front door;
– Make sure any hazards on your property such as lawn ornaments are clearly marked;
– Keep any pets inside, ideally without access to the area where trick or treaters will enter your home;
– Clean up your yard to ensure it is free of debris (children may cut across lawns to decrease distance walked);
– Use lights instead of candles for your jack-o-lantern; and
– If an option, park your car in your garage
While the above list is not exhaustive, it provides some background on what to consider when preparing for Halloween. While the goal is always to balance fun and fright, safety should be the number one goal. Nothing is spookier than being named in a lawsuit.
If you or someone you know has been injured, we may be able to help.
Contact Oatley Vigmond Personal Injury Lawyers LLP for a free consultation.
Written By
The son of a grocery store clerk, Kevin grew up outside of Perth, Ontario. He credits his humble beginnings with the development of his underdog mentality, an approach he has carried into his legal career.
He attended McMaster University for two years before being granted early admission to Osgoode Hall Law School. After being called to the bar in 2008, Kevin began practising law in Hamilton before joining a leading Toronto litigation firm, representing Canada’s largest insurance companies on personal injury actions. “I didn’t find it fulfilling,” Kevin recalls. “I was helping companies save money, when what I wanted to do was help the people going up against these major corporations.” Since joining Oatley Vigmond, Kevin has used his insurance-industry experience to protect his clients and recover the compensation they deserved. He’d been at Oatley Vigmond for two months when he settled a matter for a client at a mediation. “You felt the burden of the litigation, and her injuries, lifting off her. I wanted to help even more people experience the relief of having their uncertainty lifted.’”