Common Fireworks Injuries: What You Should Know

Common Fireworks Injuries

Fireworks can ignite celebration—but injuries often shadow the fireworks fun. As a personal injury law firm, Stein Whatley Astorino, PLLC understands how quickly a joyful moment turns into devastation. This post explores common fireworks injuries, highlights real data, and offers guidance on your legal rights.

What Fireworks Injuries Occur

Manufacturers design fireworks to explode, spark, and burn. Consumers expect sensational effects, but not to suffer harm. Fireworks pose inherent hazards if people mishandle them, use illegal devices, or experience device malfunctions. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its 2023 Fireworks Annual Report outlining fireworks-related deaths, emergency department-treated injuries, and enforcement activities during 2023.

According to the CPSC fireworks data, fireworks led to an estimated 9,700 emergency‑room injuries in 2023. More astonishing, experts also document eight non-occupational deaths last year. That data comes from CPSC’s report. Injuries rose at a steady rate of about 561 injuries per year between 2008 and 2023. This upward trend highlights the ongoing risk.

Who Suffers Most from Firework Accidents?

The special study over June 16–July 16, 2023 implicated higher emergency‑room visits during peak holiday season. This information is consistent with the CPSC’s 2022 Fireworks Annual Report as well. Additionally, this data is probably not a shock to the reader. Within that period:

• Males suffered nearly double the injuries of females.
• Youth under 25 experienced the highest injury rates.
• Children under 14 accounted for 16% of all injuries.

Common Types of Fireworks Injuries

Fireworks cause different injury types depending on device type and usage. The CPSC fireworks data categorizes injuries by body region and diagnosis:

Fireworks Burn Injuries

Fireworks caused approximately 2,800 burn injuries in 2022’s special July period. Burns account for the majority of all fireworks-related emergency room visits. In 2023, the CPSC estimated that 42% of all fireworks injuries were burns. These burns often affect the hands, face, arms, and legs. Burns occur when users ignite fireworks too close to the body, experience device malfunctions, or mishandle hot debris after ignition.

• Hands and fingers receive the most burn injuries—often due to premature explosions or failure to throw firecrackers in time.
• Facial burns frequently result from leaning over fireworks while lighting them or from fireworks misfiring directly toward the user.
• Sparklers, which can burn at temperatures exceeding 1,200°F, pose a serious threat to children. Many parents mistakenly assume sparklers are safe, but they often cause second degree burns or third degree burns in young users.

Burns can require extensive treatment, including skin grafts, wound care, and pain management. In severe cases, burns leave permanent scaring and disfigurement.

Blast Injuries and Amputations

Explosions from large or homemade fireworks often cause blast-related trauma, including ruptured eardrums, internal injuries, and traumatic amputations. The CPSC linked multiple fireworks-related deaths and amputations in 2023 to powerful explosives, often illegal devices like M-80s or quarter sticks.

• Traumatic amputation of fingers or hands may result when devices explode in hand or misfire during lighting.
• Overpressure from blasts can damage lungs, hearing, and soft tissue—even without direct contact.
• Improper assembly of homemade fireworks often leads to unpredictable explosions, placing users at extreme risk.

These injuries usually involve long-term disability, reconstructive surgery, and emotional trauma. Victims often face years of rehabilitation and permanent life changes.

Eye Injuries from Fireworks

Fireworks severely endanger eye health. The CPSC estimates that nearly 16% of all fireworks injuries affect the eyes, ranging from mild irritation to permanent blindness. The eye region suffered approximately 1,200 injuries, including burns, chemical damage, and foreign objects.

• Foreign bodies such as sparks, debris, or chemical particles can scratch or embed in the eye.
• Chemical burns from firework powder cause extreme pain and vision impairment.
• Direct trauma from bottle rockets or Roman candles can rupture the eyeball or detach the retina.
  Even spectators who stand too close can suffer severe eye injuries when a firework explodes erratically or fragments scatter. Immediate medical attention is critical, as delay often results in irreversible damage.

Lacerations and Contusions

Fireworks also cause deep cuts, abrasions, and bruising often to the head, face, and extremities. The CPSC reports that over 20% of injuries in 2023 were lacerations or contusions. These “cuts and bruises” affected about 2,200 individuals in the same period. The wounds often occur when fireworks:

• Explode near the user, sending shrapnel flying.
• Shatter mid-air, showering onlookers with metal, glass, or casing fragments.
• Misfire, launching sideways or downward instead of upward.

Injuries may involve sharp cuts that require stitches or contusions that mask internal injuries. Shattered Roman candle casings and mortar shells commonly cause this type of trauma.

Fractures, Dislocations, and Sprains

Not all fireworks injuries come from burns or explosions. In 2023, several hundred people experienced broken bones, sprains, or dislocations during fireworks-related incidents. Prior to that, roughly 500 people suffered broken bones or sprains in 2022. These injuries often stem from:

• Falls while running from a misfired or rogue firework.
• Trips over spent shells or debris in unlit areas.
• Impact from larger devices that launch projectiles at high speeds.

Victims fracture arms, ankles, or wrists when they stumble on loose pavement or react suddenly to a nearby explosion. Older adults and children are particularly vulnerable to fall-related trauma during nighttime festivities.

Facial and Head Trauma

When fireworks backfire or misdirect, users and bystanders face serious risks to the head and neck. The CPSC data shows that approximately 19% of fireworks injuries affect the head, face, and ear region. Head, face, and ear region accounted for 1,400 injuries in 2023. Injuries include:

• Blunt trauma from powerful fireworks that strike the head.
• Facial burns and lacerations from Roman candles or firecrackers exploding near the face.
• Ear damage, including ruptured eardrums or hearing loss, from proximity to loud detonations.

These firework injuries often occur due to unsafe proximity, illegal fireworks, or negligent supervision during public or private displays. Facial injuries can result in permanent disfigurement, emotional distress, and sensory impairment.

Lower Body Injuries

In 2023, approximately 15% of all fireworks injuries involved the lower extremities, including thighs, knees, calves, and feet. Legs suffered around 1,400 injuries, and trunk/other body areas suffered 900. These injuries arise when:

• Individuals stand too close to launch zones.
• People step on smoldering debris, causing foot burns.
• Rockets or shells veer off course and strike lower body regions.

Wearing sandals or going barefoot during fireworks shows significantly increases the risk of lower limb injuries. Some injuries require debridement, surgical intervention, or extensive rehabilitation.

Psychological Trauma from Fireworks Accidents

Finally, many victims suffer emotional and psychological trauma after a fireworks injury. Explosions, severe burns, or traumatic amputations can trigger:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety and depression
• Fear of loud noises or bright flashes

Children especially associate fireworks with terror instead of celebration, and victims with disfigurement often experience social anxiety or depression.

Device Types Behind Common Firework Injuries

Certain fireworks devices correlate with specific injuries. In June–July 2022:

• Firecrackers caused 1,300 injuries (~18%).
• Sparklers injured 600 people (~8%).
• Rockets (incl. bottle rockets) produced burns and eye injuries.
• Roman candles, novelties, and multiple-tube devices also hurt users.
• Most injuries came from devices classified as “unknown” due to victims’ inability to identify them.

Illegal fireworks like M‑80s and quarter sticks injured around 500 people. These powerful devices often explode erratically.

Why Legal Action Matters after Firework Accidents

The broad scope of fireworks injuries shows how a moment of celebration can cause long-term consequences. Victims may face months or years of recovery, mounting medical bills, and lost income. In many cases, a third party’s negligence, whether a manufacturer, host, or retailer, may entitle the injured party to legal compensation.

If you or your loved one has suffered any firework-related injuries, our team of experienced injury lawyers can help you explore your legal options. We build strong cases and fight for compensation to cover every aspect of your recovery — physical, emotional, and financial.

Contact a Fireworks Accident Lawyer Near Me

This post details the most common injuries, who is most vulnerable, and how the legal system can deliver accountability and compensation for personal injury victims. If you or a loved one suffered a fireworks injury, you deserve a strong advocate who understands the law and cares about your recovery. Our injury lawyers help injury victims across the states of Indiana and Kentucky.

Contact Stein Whatley Astorino, PLLC for a free and confidential case review. We will pursue the full and fair compensation you deserve while you focus on healing. Call 502.553.4750 to speak with a firework accident lawyer today.

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