Memorial Day Weekend Safety Tips That Could Save You from a Lawsuit

Posted on 05/22/25

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, many Connecticut families are planning backyard cookouts, road trips, and time with loved ones to honor those who served and celebrate the start of summer. But behind the long weekend fun, Memorial Day is also one of the most dangerous times of the year for accidents, injuries, and emergency room visits.

At The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, we want your holiday to be safe and memorable for all the right reasons. As a Connecticut-based personal injury law firm, we know how quickly a celebration can turn into a legal or medical emergency—and we’re here to help you avoid that.

Whether you’re hosting a gathering, heading out on the road, or spending time near water, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself, your guests, and your legal rights this Memorial Day weekend.

Driving Safely Over Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is one of the most high-traffic holidays of the year, and with increased vehicles on the road comes a higher risk of serious accidents. Every year, thousands of people are injured or killed in car crashes during this time, many of which are entirely preventable.

Avoiding Drunk and Impaired Driving

If you’re planning to drink, make arrangements in advance for a designated driver or rideshare. Driving under the influence is not only illegal—it puts your life and others’ lives at risk. Even a small amount of alcohol can impair judgment, slow reaction times, and lead to deadly mistakes behind the wheel.

Hosting tip: If you’re serving alcohol at a party, keep an eye on your guests. If someone appears impaired, do not let them drive. Offer to call an uber or help them arrange a safe ride home.

Stay Focused and Alert

Texting while driving, eating behind the wheel, or even fiddling with your music can be enough to cause a crash. Connecticut law prohibits handheld cellphone use while driving. Distracted driving injuries are one of the most common types of personal injury claims we see—and often, they were entirely avoidable.

If you’re driving long distances, take breaks, share the driving with someone else, and get enough rest before your trip.

Hosting Guests? Know Your Responsibilities

If you’re hosting a party or gathering at your home, it’s not just good manners to keep your guests safe—it’s also your legal responsibility. Under Connecticut premises liability law, property owners can be held accountable for injuries that happen due to unsafe or hazardous conditions.

Keep Your Property Safe

Before your guests arrive, do a walkthrough of your property. Look for any tripping hazards like uneven pavement, loose steps, exposed cords, or poorly lit walkways. If you have a deck or patio, check for broken boards or loose railings. If you have a pool, be sure it’s properly fenced and supervised while in use.

It’s especially important to watch out for children and elderly guests who may be more vulnerable to injury.

Alcohol and Liability

If you’re serving alcohol, you could be held liable for any injuries or damages that result from a guest becoming intoxicated—especially if they drive afterward. This is known as social host liability, and it can extend to accidents that happen off your property.

Limit alcohol consumption at your event, and provide food and non-alcoholic drink options. If a guest appears overly intoxicated, it’s your responsibility to intervene.

Injury on Private Property: How Connecticut Law Handles It

If someone gets hurt on your property this weekend—or if you’re injured on someone else’s—it’s important to understand how Connecticut law treats these situations.

What Counts as a Property Owner’s Responsibility?

Under Connecticut law, homeowners must take reasonable care to ensure their property is safe for visitors. If a hazard exists and the property owner knew or should have known about it, they may be liable for any resulting injuries. This can include things like:

Slips or falls due to wet surfaces or uneven ground
Burns from grills or fire pits
Drownings or near-drownings in unsupervised pools
Injuries from broken furniture or unsafe structures

This liability can apply whether you’re visiting a friend’s backyard or attending a public gathering at a rental property.

Insurance and Injury Claims in Connecticut

Many people assume that if something goes wrong—whether it’s a car accident or a guest slipping at a backyard barbecue—their insurance will automatically handle it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Understanding your insurance coverage in advance can be the difference between a manageable situation and a financially devastating one.

At The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, we regularly work with clients who find out too late that their insurance doesn’t cover nearly as much as they thought it did.

Homeowners Insurance: Don’t Assume You’re Fully Covered

Most Connecticut homeowners carry insurance, but they may not fully understand what it covers—or where it stops.

Typical homeowners insurance policies in Connecticut include personal liability coverage that ranges from $100,000 to $300,000. This coverage is meant to protect you if someone is injured on your property and holds you legally responsible. For example, if a guest falls on a broken step or slips on a wet patio, this policy can help cover medical bills, lost wages, and even legal defense costs if you are sued.

However, this standard coverage isn’t always enough.

If someone suffers a serious or life-altering injury—such as a head injury, spinal damage, or drowning—medical costs and lost income can quickly exceed your policy limits. If that happens, your personal assets—including savings, investments, or even your home—may be at risk.

Why You Should Consider Higher Coverage Limits

If you have substantial assets or own your home outright, we strongly recommend reviewing your liability limits and increasing them if necessary. In some cases, purchasing an umbrella insurance policy—which provides additional coverage beyond your standard homeowners or auto insurance—can give you millions in added protection for a relatively low premium.

If you’re planning to host large gatherings or if your property includes a pool, trampoline, or other higher-risk features, the risk of injury is higher—and your liability exposure increases.

Auto Insurance in Connecticut: Minimums Are Not Always Enough

Under Connecticut law, all drivers must carry minimum liability coverage, which includes:

$25,000 per person for bodily injury
$50,000 per accident for bodily injury to multiple people
$25,000 per accident for property damage

These minimums, while required by law, are often insufficient in the event of a serious car accident. A single emergency room visit, ambulance ride, or surgery can easily surpass these amounts.

In addition, many drivers carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage—and we believe this is one of the most important components of any Connecticut auto policy. If you’re hit by someone who doesn’t have insurance (or doesn’t have enough), this part of your policy steps in to help cover medical costs, lost income, and more.

Why Higher Auto Limits Matter

Just like with homeowners insurance, if you have savings, a business, or valuable property, carrying only the minimum coverage is a major financial risk. One serious accident can lead to a lawsuit—and if your policy doesn’t cover the damages, your personal assets may be on the line.

We’ve represented clients on both sides of these situations—drivers who were underinsured and had no idea their policy wouldn’t protect them, and victims left without sufficient compensation because the person at fault had inadequate coverage.

If you drive often, transport passengers, or have teen drivers in your household, you should consider raising your liability limits and uninsured motorist protection.

A Word of Advice from Our Team

Insurance is there to protect you—but only if you understand how it works and make sure it meets your needs. At The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, we urge Connecticut residents to treat insurance like any other part of their safety plan.

Before the holiday weekend:

Review your homeowners and auto policies
Understand your liability limits
Increase coverage if needed—especially if you have assets to protect
Make sure your umbrella policy is current, if you have one
Know what to do if someone gets hurt at your home or in your car

You can’t control everything, but you can control how prepared you are if something happens.

Common Personal Injury Scenarios Over Memorial Day Weekend

Unfortunately, our office often sees an increase in personal injury consultations following major holidays. Here are just a few real-life examples of what can go wrong:

A guest trips on a loose stair at a barbecue and fractures their wrist.
A driver falls asleep at the wheel after a long beach day and rear-ends another car.
A child slips near a pool with no fence and suffers a head injury.
A friend serves alcohol at a party and lets a guest drive home intoxicated—leading to a crash.

Each of these cases could lead to personal injury claims or even lawsuits, depending on the circumstances. And in many cases, victims are unaware of their rights—or assume they have no legal recourse.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What should I do if I’m injured at someone else’s house this weekend?
A: Get medical help immediately, take photos of the scene if you can, and document what happened. Then contact a personal injury attorney. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, or lost wages.

Q: Can I be sued if someone falls on my property?
A: Yes—if the injury was caused by a condition you knew about or should have addressed. You may be liable under Connecticut premises liability laws.

Q: Does insurance always cover these kinds of injuries?
A: Not always. Insurance coverage depends on the policy, the nature of the injury, and whether proper precautions were taken. That’s why it’s important to speak with an attorney if you’re involved in a claim.

Q: What if I was partially at fault for my injury?
A: Connecticut follows comparative negligence law, which means you may still recover damages as long as you were not more than 50% at fault.

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