Particularly in states like Utah, with unpredictable and sometimes extreme weather, the popularity of indoor trampoline parks has exploded in recent years. There are over 800 such parks in America, up from under 100 just five years ago, and while these bring entertainment and fun in most situations, they also come with some non-trivial injury risks.
At the offices of William Rawlings & Associates, our personal injury attorneys have assisted with numerous cases of injury or accident liability for trampoline parks. While such parks try to cover themselves with liability waivers, there are many situations where these do not properly cover certain hazards or conditions, and participants may have robust claims for injuries or damages sustained. Here’s a quick primer on the dangers involved with trampolines, plus some stats on trampoline park accidents and some important information to know on park liability waivers.
There are several specific injury types that are a significant risk when it comes to jumping on trampolines, including each of the following:
Trampolines in any setting pose dangers, but those in trampoline parks have been found to carry additional risks even beyond these standard concerns. This often stems from the fact that this industry is completely unregulated – there are premises liability laws these companies have to follow, yes, but that’s about it. Collisions, landing issues, falling or jumping off the trampoline, and even landing on springs are all concerns.
A couple notable statistics on trampoline parks and accidents:
As we noted above, trampoline parks will attempt to shield themselves from liability by having all visitors sign liability waivers. These are meant to cover the business in case of injury.
And in some minor injury cases, such waivers will hold up. Patrons who experience strains or sprains based on hazards they were well aware of and chose to take part in anyway often won’t be able to file a claim against the business.
However, there are also many cases where the park will be found negligent even despite these waivers – incidents like improperly maintained equipment, hidden hazards or related issues that lead to major injury. In addition, there are also many states that do not allow minors to sign away their rights, even with a parent signing; in such cases, injuries to kids under 18 often lead to liability cases against the business even if a waiver was signed.
For more on trampoline parks and accident liability, or to learn about any of our personal injury or wrongful death attorney services, speak to the staff at the offices of William Rawlings & Associates today.