The concept of a barbecue: Russians were most often burned and fell on the May holidays

Burns from kebabs and falls from stairs became the most frequent injuries of Russians during the May holidays, insurers told Izvestia. People went to dachas en masse, so among the insurance cases described, for example, there is one: an elderly man injured his arm by slipping on a freshly weeded garden bed when he tried to escape from a goat. In general, Russians spent the holidays very actively — they built houses in trees, mowed grass, walked through forests, and rode motorcycles. The unpleasant consequences of a long weekend are described in the Izvestia article.

How Russians spent the holidays

More than half of citizens' appeals during the May holidays are related to domestic injuries sustained in household plots, insurance companies told Izvestia. Among them are cuts when working with tools, bruises and sprains after falling from ladders and ladders, as well as burns when cooking on an open fire for barbecue and barbecue lovers.

According to AlfaStrakhovanie, children were most often injured during active outdoor games — they fell from swings, bicycles and scooters.

"A small but stable proportion of complaints are related to accidents while traveling by car, mainly minor injuries from accidents caused by traffic jams and careless maneuvering on country roads. Another type of transport that is associated with the May injuries is a motorcycle. And in 1% of cases, ATV enthusiasts suffered fractures and bruises," the insurers added.

So, in May, a man got a foot burn by stepping barefoot on a red-hot skewer, forgotten after cooking kebabs at the barbecue. In another case, an elderly man injured his arm after slipping on a freshly weeded garden bed while trying to escape from a neighbor's goat. One of the appeals to the insurance company was about an allergic reaction to a barbecue, which turned out to be unexpectedly spicy — as it turned out later, with a double portion of adjika "according to my grandfather's recipe."

In 2025, the May holidays were the most active in recent years, the VSK Insurance House noted. More than half of the total losses reported over the past three years occurred this year.

"Most often, in 77% of cases, clients encounter standard injuries: fractures, bruises, sprains," they said.

One of the largest payments, 240 thousand rubles, was received by a resident of the Kemerovo region for an industrial injury at work. And a resident of Kurgan was mowing grass on his property, fell and got sprained — the payment amounted to 25 thousand rubles.

"Another case was when a 12—year-old teenager was building a treehouse with friends, fell, caught his hand on a branch, and injured his left arm. The payment was 5,000 rubles. Another one — the client hit his face on a pole, broke his nose. The payment amounted to 35 thousand rubles," the VSK added.

The maximum amount of the payment made for the risk of "injury" was 400 thousand rubles, the experts of the insurance company "Consent" added.

"The policyholder fell down the stairs when leaving the entrance. A payment was also made for the risk of "Accidental Death" in the amount of 2.9 million rubles — asphyxia caused by food in the specified part of the respiratory tract occurred," they said.

What injuries did Russian tourists get?

In the period from May 1 to May 11, 2025, Sberbank Insurance received more than 260 requests from customers in connection with injuries, Elena Kosheleva, the company's project director, told Izvestia. The most common causes of complaints are domestic incidents and sports injuries.

— The largest payment for the May holidays in 2025 was 90 thousand rubles. The compensation was received by a resident of St. Petersburg, who injured his left hand while servicing a tillerblock (a type of small tractor. — Ed.), — she explained. — Also, a resident of the Northern Capital received a payment of 60 thousand rubles due to fractures of her fingers, both of her hands were pinched by a metal door.

A resident of Smolensk was stepped on in public transport, as a result of which a fracture of the phalanx of the finger was diagnosed. The payment amounted to 20 thousand rubles.

During the May holidays of 2025, Russians most often applied for insurance payments for injuries related to minor fractures.: They account for almost half of all registered cases (45%), the press service of the Rosgosstrakh insurance company added.

"Fractures of the arms were about twice as common as those of the legs, including finger injuries," they said. —In addition, 11% of complaints are related to bruises, 6% to ligament injuries, and about 4% relate to tick bites, a traditional seasonal risk, especially against the background of an increase in the number of trips to nature," the editorial office said in response to a request.

By region, the most applications were received from Moscow (9.5%), Bashkortostan (7.7%), Novosibirsk Region (4.7%), as well as from Samara Region and Krasnodar Territory (4.2% each).

The number of applications for injuries during the May holidays amounted to 318 applications, mainly for bruises and fractures, said Artem Iskra, Managing Director of the Department of Mass Types of insurance at Renaissance Insurance. The client received the largest payment due to a fall from a motorcycle in Thailand - the total amount of insurance compensation amounted to more than 3 million rubles.

Natalia Tylina, head of the NS and VZR Loss Settlement Department at Absolut Insurance, noted that from May 1 to May 11, 2025, the company received fewer complaints than last year. They are mainly related to active activities: children were injured while playing on the playground, adult tourists slipped on a wet surface, stepped on a sea urchin in the sea, fell off a motorcycle or bike.

"The most expensive case is an appeal for a child's injury in the United Arab Emirates," she said. — He was diagnosed with a closed fracture, and required a closed reposition under general anesthesia. The insurance company agreed with the clinic on the bill for medical care in the amount of $2.5 thousand. Tourists often get injured when they fall. This usually happens due to banal situations - slipped on a wet floor or stumbled on the stairs.

In addition, deferred appeals are also expected, the "Consent" added. That is, Russians who suffered during the May holidays can apply to insurance companies for several more months.

Property also received "injuries" over the May weekend, Rosgosstrakh added. So, in the Moscow region, the owners of the cottage decided to spend the holidays with friends, inviting them to their place outside the city.

"When everyone was gathered, the guests' car was neatly parked in the garage," she said. — However, at some point, the unattended barbecue collapsed, which led to a fire situation. As a result, the garage and the car inside burned down.

In the Nizhny Novgorod region, a man decided to please himself and his neighbors by launching fireworks. However, one of the Roman candles tilted and hit the sauna on the neighboring plot. Another story happened when a man, while engaged in landscaping and welding a metal fence, accidentally damaged the siding on a neighbor's house.

How to avoid injury

During the May holidays, there is traditionally an increase in applications for policies due to injuries sustained outside the city or as a result of accidents with children, Denis Titov, director of the AlfaStrakhovanie Department of Property Insurance for Individuals, added.

Injuries sustained during the May holidays can be divided into several types related to outdoor activities, the so-called barbecue and the start of the summer season, added Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the analytical agency VMT Consult.

"Being intoxicated dramatically increases the chance of injury in any of these cases," the expert noted. — We urge you to refrain from excessive alcohol consumption during the long all-Russian weekends.

Russians are expected to have the next long weekend in June. With the arrival of heat, many people tend to go out into nature, some plan to work at the cottage, others — to walk through the forest, and others — to enjoy a barbecue in the fresh air. However, an abrupt transition from "hibernation" to activity can affect health, Nina Zubova, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory, recalled.

"Unusual physical activity after winter, limited fluid intake, and dietary errors—an abundance of salty, fried, and spicy foods—can trigger a spike in blood pressure, especially in the elderly and people predisposed to cardiovascular diseases," she said. — Therefore, you need to enter this mode gradually, carefully listening to your well-being.

Ice trials: sliding down slides has become the most injury-prone winter pastime

Post-slope damage accounted for a quarter of claims over the past three seasons, insurance companies said

In early summer, wind-pollinated plants continue to bloom. Their pollen is a powerful allergen. It can cause a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and in the worst case, a debilitating cough, rapid heartbeat, headache, and a rash all over the body. At risk are urbanites who may encounter an unusually large number of herbs and flowers in nature.

"A change in the weather along with physical exertion is a significant blow to the joints," the specialist added. — If a person led a quiet lifestyle in winter and practically did not exercise, and in the spring and summer he abruptly took up gardening or went hiking, then the load on the musculoskeletal system will be excessive. And this can lead to dislocations, sprains, fractures and exacerbation of chronic diseases of joints and muscles.

To avoid health problems, it is enough to follow simple safety rules: monitor well-being, control blood pressure, have medications prescribed by a doctor at hand for allergies, do not abuse fatty and fried foods, and minimize alcohol consumption, the doctor emphasized.