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The holidays can be stressful as it is, and the last thing anyone wants is added stress. As all female personal injury attorneys, we, like our moms, look for ways to keep our families and loved ones safe over the holidays. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and so we want to remind you to be safe and give you some pointers on how to keep the whole family, including our loving pets, safe and happy.

First, a lot of us will be driving to visit friends and relatives for Thanksgiving. If you plan to hit the roadways, always remember to "buckle up for safety." We have seen many cases that could have ended differently had the time been taken to buckle up. Also, try to find the least crowded route to avoid the hazard of other drivers who may not be paying attention or are distracted by texting. Living in Florida, it can be useful to check the hourly weather forecast and plan your travel time to avoid storms and the hazardous driving conditions that result.

Second, Thanksgiving brings with it the holiday turkey. Deep-frying a turkey is increasing in popularity and as good as this may taste, it comes with the risk of burns and hot oil. Ensure that if you are using an outside deep fryer that you (1) keep it outside; (2) keep small children and pets away; and (3) wear protective clothing or gloves in the event of splatter. If you are cooking your turkey inside, in the oven, make sure when you open the oven door pets and small children are not nearby. Before you start to cook, we recommend having a working fire extinguisher on hand. If not, you can get one at most stores. A little-known fact, but baking soda is good to put out fires as well, and comes in large boxes, much bigger than what some of us put in our refrigerator to absorb odors!

Second, small children and pets make every holiday bright, but at the same time, they are curious and get into everything. If you have young children visiting your home, think about child-proofing areas where they may wander to unsupervised. Walk around your home and think about things a two or three-year-old child may be able to get into. If you have a pool, make sure that it is blocked off from young children, or your guest agrees to supervise their child at all times. Pools are fun, but also a lot of responsibility when there are a lot of guests.

Please do not hesitate to call our all female personal injury attorney team so that we can answer any questions. We hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday!