On a typical weekend in Mississippi, the trampoline parks here are at a large capacity with hundreds of kids and adults bouncing, jumping, and playing. Trampoline parks have now become a billion dollar industry. But, in the past several years in the United States, many people have developed severe injuries from these trampoline parks, even death. The numbers could be even higher but many injured people are forced into arbitration with those trampoline parks and ordered to sign confidentiality agreements that stop them from telling their story.
In a recent video from a trampoline park, you could see a father unknowingly causing a double bounce on a mat with his 4 year old son accidentally breaking his femur. It took almost a full minute before anyone noticed the child rolling around in pain.
State lawmakers in Utah recently passed a new law to try to make trampoline parks safer. Utah joins at least seven other states requiring more oversight from insurance companies and annual inspections. In the U.S., all of them operate without any federal oversight.
CBS News recently did an article on trampoline parks and injuries related to them. They interviewed an expert that has been a witness in more than 200 plaintiff cases against trampoline parks. He said the injuries they can cause are life altering. “Broken necks, broken backs, dislocated and open-fractured elbows, shoulders,” McPherson said. “They’re all catastrophic injuries.”
The expert says the danger lies in the design of the park. Several trampolines are connected with steel cables or chain links under thin padding. As people jump, waves of energy are generated in all directions, which can cause those “double bounces” that can end in high-impact collisions. “They’re moving at speeds and with energy that when they hit or get hit by somebody else that’s twice their weight, they end up with crush injuries.
In the last few years, emergency room visits caused by trampoline park injuries has skyrocketed. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the numbers have shot up from 2,500 in 2013 to almost 18,000 in 2017.
In response to the deaths and injuries, the International Association of Trampoline Parks told CBS News: “There are parks that do not adhere to industry technical standards, and do not operate with safety at the forefront of their agendas.” The group has launched an initiative to require third-party inspections to ensure the safest experience possible. Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trampoline-parks-rising-in-popularity-expert-warns-of-catastrophic-injuries/
The most common trampoline injuries are sprains or strains incurred when jumpers land awkwardly. More serious injuries have also occurred, including leg fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. In most cases, customers cannot recover financial compensation from the trampoline park because they were made aware of these risks and signed a liability waiver. However, a trampoline park could still be held liable for injuries.
Mississippi Premises liability law applies when an injury is caused by an unsafe condition that the facility owner/operator reasonably should have known about and remedied in some way (e.g., making repairs, blocking off an unsafe area, or posting signs warning that an area is unsafe and off-limits). Mississippi business property owners have a duty of care. Duty of care is a phrase in the legal industry that basically means people have a responsibility to take reasonable care with certain things that could foresee-ably cause potential injury.
If a trampoline park owner/operator is found to be negligent in their management of the facility, an injured person may be eligible for compensation even if they signed a liability waiver. If they failed to address a potential safety concern, and you’re injured as a result, the owner may be responsible for your injuries. This is where a premises liability case begins.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured at a trampoline park in Mississippi, contact the Jackson, MS premises liability attorneys at Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. We can assist you with your claim and help you act quickly. There is no fee to discuss your case with you. Call 601-948-8005 or use our live chat on our website.
