The day after Thanksgiving, known as “Black Friday,” is the day when the holiday shopping season starts. People rush out to the malls and big-box stores in hopes of finding the perfect gifts and the best deals. But “Black Friday” has also become more synonymous with acts of violence.

According to Black Friday Death Count — a website that records these incidents that occur on Black Friday around the world — there have been 12 deaths and 117 injuries since 2006. Many of the reported incidents listed on the website included shootings, stabbings, assaults, tramplings, fistfights, brawls, car accidents, and vehicular assaults, some of which have resulted in fatalities.

A recent report from Reviews.org showed that, of all the violent incidents that occur, trampling is the most frequent; accounting for 30% of all incidents. Shootings came in second, with 26.7% of total incidents, followed by car incidents (16.7%) such as accidents, vehicular assaults or homicides, stabbings (13.3%), pepper spraying and fights (6.7% each). Reviews.org also pointed out that the states with the greatest risk of Black Friday violence are Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama, while those with the lowest risk include Vermont, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Holiday shopping should not result in an emergency room visit. If you or a loved one has been injured or assaulted at a store or a shopping mall, it is important to seek the guidance of an experienced personal injury lawyer. The New Jersey personal injury lawyers of Rinaldo Law Group LLC are experienced in representing clients in serious premises liability matters, including slip-and-fall accidents. For more information or to schedule a consultation with our New Jersey personal injury lawyers, call 1-833-RINALDO (1-833-746-2536).