There’s a risk of injury, a risk of starting a fire, and a risk that your home insurance may not cover expenses if something goes wrong while using fireworks, according to Quote Wizard, an online insurance marketplace.
If you’re in a location where you can legally use fireworks, insurance experts tell the NBC4 I-Team: “This Fourth of July, safe and sane is a great motto, a great mantra,” Rob Bhatt, licensed insurance agent from Seattle, WA and an analyst with Quote Wizard.
“Safe and Sane fireworks” are legal to use in some cities in California because they usually don’t fly into the air or explode. Los Angeles bans fireworks of any kind.
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Bhatt said using fireworks improperly or using illegal fireworks could lead to dangerous consequences and you could be held financially responsibly.
“I know about the dry lands throughout Southern California, if you are messing around with fireworks and your negligence leads to a fire, you could also be financially responsible for that,” Bhatt said.
“But then the other side of that is even if you do have a big liability claim against you, it's going to make getting insurance in the future much more difficult, much more expensive,” he added.
Using data from this 2021 report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bhatt's group found firework-related injuries increased by 26-percent over a three-year period.
“If you are the person using the fireworks or you're having a fireworks show at your home and someone gets injured, it's usually covered as long as these are legal fireworks. But if you're using illegal fireworks, that might be a problem,” he said, adding that one of things generally excluded is unlawful activity.
He says the main thing to consider is keep your July 4 celebration festive.
“But you also want your 5 July to also be a good day, too. So be responsible and make good decisions,” Bhatt said.
