In This Article
Fireworks are a popular part of celebrations around the world. They create colorful, stunning displays. But they can also cause sudden accidents and serious injuries.
Key Takeaways
- Yes, you can often sue. Liability can fall on manufacturers, retailers, event organizers, pyrotechnicians, property owners, or a careless neighbor.
- Common claims include personal injury, product liability, premises liability, and workers’ compensation.
- To win, you must prove negligence: duty, breach, causation, and damages.
- Time limits apply. In every state, you have a time limit to file a personal injury lawsuit.
- The risk is real. An estimated 122,912 people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for fireworks injuries from 2012 to 2022.
Fireworks Lawsuits
A fireworks injury can lead to legal action. When someone is hurt, more than one party may be held responsible. Fireworks accidents cause many kinds of injuries, and each one can carry legal consequences.
Fireworks injuries range from minor burns to amputations or even death. How bad the injury is often depends on two things: the type of firework and how close you were to the blast.
Several parties may share the blame for a fireworks injury. Manufacturers or distributors can be liable if the product was defective. Retailers can be liable for selling fireworks without proper safety warnings, or for selling them to minors. And anyone hosting a display can be responsible if they skip safety steps or ignore local laws. In many cases, more than one party is held responsible.
Spectators hurt by someone else’s negligence may be able to file a lawsuit for compensation. That includes cases where fireworks are set off too close to other people without proper safety precautions.
In short, liability can fall on manufacturers, distributors, retailers, event organizers, or any individual who acts carelessly. Injured people may be able to recover money for their losses.
An estimated 122,912 firework-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments from 2012 to 2022.
More recently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated about 14,700 emergency-room-treated fireworks injuries and 11 deaths in 2024.
Common Injuries Caused by Fireworks
The most commonly injured body parts are the arms and hands (41.62%), the head and neck (36.40%), and the legs and feet (13.78%).
People set off fireworks at holidays and celebrations like New Year’s Eve, but they carry real risks. Here are some of the injuries they cause most often:
- Burns: Burns are one of the most frequent fireworks injuries. They range from minor surface burns to severe third-degree burns. Sparks and explosions can burn exposed skin on the hands, face, and eyes. Bad burns are painful, often need medical treatment, and can leave lasting scars.
- Eye Injuries: Fireworks can cause serious eye injuries, including permanent blindness. These include scratches on the cornea, objects lodged in the eye, a detached retina, and chemical burns. Fast-moving debris and sparks are usually to blame.
- Hand and Finger Injuries: These happen when people handle fireworks or stand too close to an explosion. They include burns, cuts, puncture wounds, broken bones, and amputations. A blast can shatter bones and tear soft tissue. Treatment may mean surgery and rehab, and some people lose the use of a hand for good.
- Ear Injuries: The loud bang from fireworks can damage the ear and cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. It can even rupture an eardrum. That brings sharp pain, hearing problems, and sometimes trouble with balance.
- Facial Injuries: The face is often hurt because it sits so close to the explosion. Injuries range from burns and cuts to broken bones, soft-tissue damage, and eye injuries. Treatment can require surgery and may leave lasting physical and emotional effects.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): A firework blast creates a strong shockwave. That force can cause a brain injury, from a mild concussion to severe brain damage. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, memory problems, and trouble thinking, along with long-term disability.
- Psychological Trauma: Fireworks accidents can also cause emotional trauma, especially after a severe injury or witnessing one. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others struggle with anxiety, depression, or panic attacks.
- Fires: Fireworks can start fires that destroy property, put lives at risk, and cause serious injuries like burns and smoke inhalation. Fireworks start thousands of fires each year in the U.S., and more fires are reported on July 4th than on any other day.
Legal Avenues for Seeking Compensation
Men are injured by fireworks at more than double the rate of women (4.90 versus 2.25 cases per 100,000 people).
After a fireworks injury, it helps to talk with an injury lawyer about your options. Here is a basic overview of how compensation may be sought:
- Personal Injury Lawsuit: You can file a personal injury lawsuit against the party at fault, such as the event organizer or manufacturer. The goal is to prove they were negligent and to recover money for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
- Product Liability Lawsuit: If a defective firework or piece of equipment caused your injury, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer. Here you must show the product was unreasonably dangerous or defective, and that the defect caused your injury.
- Premises Liability Claim: If the incident happened on someone else’s property, you may have a premises liability claim against the owner or manager. This claim says they failed to keep the property safe or to warn you about the danger.
- Workers’ Compensation: If you were hurt while working with or around fireworks on the job, you may qualify for workers’ compensation. It can cover medical bills, lost wages, disability benefits, and rehab costs.
Deadlines matter too. Miss the deadline, and you can lose the right to sue. Other states set their own limits, so act quickly.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Firework Injury?
The people or companies that plan and run a fireworks display are responsible for safety. That means proper safety measures, trained staff, and following fireworks rules. If they fail at any of these, they can be held liable.
Pyrotechnicians (the professionals who set off the show) can also be liable for careless acts, such as mishandling fireworks or failing to secure explosives. If an outside contractor helped set up or run the display, they can share the blame when their negligence played a part.
When a defective firework or piece of equipment causes the injury, the manufacturer, distributor, or seller may be liable under product liability laws. That covers fireworks that malfunction, explode without warning, or contain dangerous parts.
Finally, property owners or managers may be responsible if they fail to keep the area safe or warn visitors of the risks.
Proving Negligence in Firework Displays
To prove negligence, you generally have to show the responsible party failed to use reasonable care, and that this failure caused your injury. A negligence claim usually rests on four elements:
- Duty of Care: First, you show the responsible party owed you a duty of care. This depends on the relationship between the parties and the situation. For example, display organizers have a duty to keep spectators and nearby people safe.
- Breach of Duty: Next, you show they breached that duty. This means they fell short of what a careful person or professional would have done. With fireworks, that might be weak safety measures, poor supervision, too little training, or ignoring the rules.
- Causation: Then you connect the breach to your injury. Evidence like eyewitness accounts, expert opinions, and medical records can show that link.
- Damages: Finally, you show you suffered real damages. These can include medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, disability, emotional distress, or property damage.
Strong evidence is key. That may include witness statements, photos or videos of the incident, firework permits and safety plans, expert opinions on industry standards, and any records about how the event was planned and run.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Oregon, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, under ORS 12.110. Deadlines vary by state, and some claims (such as those against a public entity) have much shorter notice periods. It is best to talk with a lawyer quickly.
Maybe. A waiver does not always block a claim. Courts often refuse to enforce a waiver when the injury came from gross negligence, reckless conduct, or a defective product. Have a lawyer review the exact wording of what you signed.
Yes, you may be able to. If a neighbor set off fireworks carelessly or broke local law and hurt you, they can be held liable for your injuries. Their homeowner’s insurance may help cover the damages.
You may still recover money. Oregon follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover damages as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, though your award is reduced by your share of the blame.
Most personal injury lawyers, including Goldberg & Loren, work on a contingency fee. You pay nothing up front, and the lawyer only gets paid if you recover money.
You may recover money for medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning ability, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and property damage.
Sources:
[1] Winicki, N. M., Waldrop, I., Orozco, J. V., Novak, D., & Sheets, N. W. (2023). The epidemiology of firework-related injuries in the United States, 2012–2022. Injury Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-023-00446-5 (Accessed August 7, 2026.)
[2] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fireworks safety (2024 data: an estimated 11 deaths and about 14,700 emergency-room-treated injuries). cpsc.gov (Accessed August 7, 2026.)
[3] National Fire Protection Association. Fireworks. nfpa.org (Accessed August 7, 2026.)
