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20 December 2017

Don’t be a statistic this holiday season – celebrate safely

‘Tis the season for family, celebration and plenty o’ merriment so let’s make sure the holidays aren’t spent in hospital, says Minister for ACC Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Unfortunately more Kiwis spend time in hospital or are hurt during the festive season than at other times of the year, so we really need to celebrate safely this summer,” says Mr Lees-Galloway.

“ACC received 3,754 claims for injuries on Christmas Day alone at a cost of $2.8 million, and through last summer’s holiday period close to $100,000 was spent on treatment for accidents relating to Christmas trees, nearly $50,000 for Christmas lights accidents and eight claims were made for wine cork injuries.

“A wine cork injury, normally caused by someone catching a flying cork in their eye, easily puts a stop to the fun for both the catcher who could lose sight in one eye, and their friends or family who will probably spend some time with them in A&E.

“The holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy yourself with friends and whanau, but for obvious reasons a little too much Christmas cheer can lead to increased risk of injury.

“So please be careful, be aware of the dangers and especially keep an eye on kids at a time when the BBQs are steaming hot, toys are strewn around the floors and the wine corks are flying.

“ACC’s no-fault support of Kiwis for nearly 50 years is a national taonga, but no one wants to be accessing this – particularly at this time of year.

“No other country in the world has ever provided a comprehensive ‘no fault’ accident insurance scheme like ACC, so for whatever reason, if you need to access support this Christmas you’ll can at least be thankful for ACC,” says Mr Lees-Galloway.

Notes for editors

Christmas Day injuries (all claims)

Accident Date	Claim Count	Active Costs*
25/12/2016	3,754	$2,831,349

Festive season injuries in December 2016

Accident Description	Claim Count	Active Costs*
Christmas Trees	137	$93,413
Christmas Lights	45	$48,679
Christmas Presents	20	$5,141
Roast Dinners	7	$5,209
Wine Cork	8	$741

*An active claim is one where a payment has been made against it in the year shown, regardless of the year in which the claim was lodged.

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