Mardi Gras is a big party with music, parades, food, drink, and other festivities. It can be a very exciting and fun experience that’s worth checking out at least once in your life. However, with a big street party, where a lot of people are drinking and throwing things around, injuries are bound to occur. (Image Credits: Madi Maeder/Pexels)
Most Mardi Gras injuries are fairly easy to avoid as long as you exercise reasonable caution. Mardi Gras should be a time of celebration. Make sure to use common sense to protect yourself from injury so that a joyful event doesn’t turn into a painful affair.
Getting Hurt
Anytime you have a large group of people crowded together and partying, some injuries are going to occur. A few of the injuries that are often seen during and after Mardi Gras include the following.
Sunburn and Dehydration
Two of the most common injuries that occur at Mardi Gras are sunburn and dehydration. Besides the obvious causes for this like spending hours out in the sunshine, working up a sweat dancing, drinking alcohol, and not drinking enough water, the other main reason for these conditions occurring is neglect.
People tend to associate things like sunburn and dehydration with the summer and don’t acknowledge that they are possibilities year-round if exposed to the right conditions. Both of these injury types are incredibly easy to avoid as long as people accept the possibility of their occurrence. Regular application of sunscreen and drinking water can easily eliminate the dangers of both of these injury types.
Eye Injuries
Eye injuries are also quite common at Mardi Gras. Throwing beads and other objects into the crowds from the parade is a celebrated pastime. Staying aware of your surroundings and wearing glasses can be great ways to protect yourself from an eye injury.
Ankle Injuries
Another common group of injuries at Mardi Gras is ankle injuries. People are drinking and walking through crowds and often not paying much attention to where they are placing their feet. This can easily lead to twisted ankles or worse. The best way to avoid ankle injuries at Mardi Gras is to watch your step.
Conflict-Related Injuries
While Mardi Gras is a time of celebration represented by people having a good time together. Any large crowded gathering with copious amounts of alcohol is likely to lead to some conflict. Fights inevitably break out at Mardi Gras and people suffer related injuries. Try to avoid situations that are liable to get contentious.
Vehicle-Related Injuries
With vehicles navigating through streets filled with pedestrians and many drivers and pedestrians additionally under the influence of alcohol, it is a recipe for vehicle-related injuries. It’s best to avoid getting behind the wheel at Mardi Gras, whether drunk or sober. Also, try to keep your distance from any moving vehicles.
Illnesses
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world into an understanding of how contagious illnesses can quickly spread through crowded environments. Beyond wearing face masks, which will most likely be featured fairly prominently at the next Mardi Gras celebration, washing your hands regularly is one of the best ways to avoid illness while in a crowd.
What Are My Options if I’m Injured at Mardi Gras?
For many of the harms listed above, there are no legal options open to you if you suffer injury. People who suffer sunburn and dehydration or ankle injuries caused by tripping over curbs, really have nobody to blame but themselves.
You typically don’t have any legal recourse for illnesses contracted by contact with crowds either. Eye related injuries caused by people throwing things can possibly present a situation where you could pursue litigation. But even if you could prove who threw the item in question, it’s unlikely that the case would hold up in court.
With conflict and vehicle-related injuries, however, there is often a party who is responsible either through direct criminal behavior or at least through negligence. If injured at Mardi Gras in a situation where another party is liable, claims can be submitted a maximum of one year after your accident.
Consult with a competent personal injury lawyer if you suffered an accident at Mardi Gras that required medical attention. Medical bills can be quite expensive, don’t let yourself be dragged down by them. You have enough on your plate with the burden of your injury, and the responsible party can cover the bills.
