It is the end of 2019. I therefore of course feel the need to use this blog to urge you to resolve to either make a will if you do not already have one, or, if you already have one, to review your current estate plan to see if it requires updating.
Why the urgency you might ask? The answer lies in the most festive of NYE tipples – champagne!
Apparently, approximately 24 people die annually from being hit by champagne corks. In fact, it has been alleged that more people die as a result of being hit by a champagne cork, than from poisonous spiders. This article highlights the death of a Hong Kong billionaire by champagne while celebrating his 50th birthday. As he opened a celebratory bottle of champagne, the cork hit the businessman in the temple causing a fatal brain hemorrhage. His death was confirmed on the way to the hospital.
Champagne corks as a cause of death have received much doubt and there have been steps to debunk as a ‘myth’. For instance, according to this article, the average rate at which a champagne cork exits a bottle is about 24.8 miles per hour. In extreme circumstances, if there was up to 3 bars of pressure, a cork could reach speeds of 60 miles per hour. Regardless, these speeds are not enough to cause a cork to be deadly.
So, while death by a champagne cork may not be a valid reason to urge you to consider your estate plan, there are many other good reasons as discussed in these related Hull & Hull blogs:
- Benefits of Estate Planning for Today’s Young Adults
- Make Estate Planning One of Your New Year’s Resolutions
- Happy New Year! And Be Careful!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!