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
“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 DateClaim CountActive Costs*25/12/20163,754$2,831,349
Festive season injuries in December 2016Accident DescriptionClaim CountActive Costs*Christmas Trees137$93,413Christmas Lights45$48,679Christmas Presents20$5,141Roast Dinners7$5,209Wine Cork8$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.
ends