Trampoline Injury – Prevention & Safety | Van Law Firm

Learn About Legal Help Available For Trampoline Accident Victims

Jumping on a backyard trampoline. It is something most of us probably did for fun as kids. As adults, we may still recall the feeling of taking those first few tentative bounces and slowly gaining confidence as each one took us higher. Do you remember? The brief sensation of weightlessness on the ascent? The satisfaction of landing squarely on both feet and quick propulsion skyward? The sound of friends urging you on as you landed on your butt or executed the perfect flip? Or do you remember botched landings and painful injuries?

Although it is fun, trampolining is not without risk. In fact, some experts say more than 300,000 people successfully sought treatment for trampoline injuries across the United States in 2018 alone. Trampoline mishaps reportedly resulted in approximately 110,000 emergency department visits that year.

Nevertheless, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says annual trampoline sales  in the United States top 500,000. And even without current injury data, it is logical to assume that some inherent risk of injury persists. As long as that is the case, important questions remain.

In this article, personal injury attorneys from Van Law Firm share what you should know about trampoline accidents, injuries, and the legal help now available for victims.

What Are Trampolines Made Of?

It is important to understand that recreational trampolines come in various shapes and sizes. They may be round, square, or rectangular  with different dimensions. Regardless, they are generally comprised of several key parts. These are: 

• Tubing – made out of galvanized steel for the frame and legs.
• Springs – which are essential for the trampoline’s bounciness – are usually made by an outside supplier in accordance with the trampoline company’s specifications.
• Jumping mats – made from heavy duty woven fibers such as polyethylene or nylon. 
• Safety pads – made from foam that are used to cover the springs and frame – are also made by an outside supplier in accordance with the trampoline company’s specifications.

You can learn more about how these parts are made here.

In this context, you should also be aware that the American Society for Testing and Materials sets the safety and quality standards for trampolines. Accordingly, all of the components mentioned above are routinely checked to ensure they meet existing criteria.

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Who Is Most At Risk For Trampoline Injuries?

Even though trampolining isn’t limited to children, research indicates that small children and younger teens are most at risk for trampoline injuries.

According to the University of Utah, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) finds the risk of injury so significant that it does not recommend trampoline use for children at all. That being stated, children who are not yet six years old are apparently at the greatest risk for serious injuries.

That’s because small children simply don’t have the physical skills needed to keep themselves safe, one expert says. 

“Younger kids have a lot less motor control, balance, and coordination, and they’re still learning how to control their body and develop those motor skills,” a spinal cord injury specialist and spasticity medical director at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital told the University of Utah in a recent article. “Then, if there are multiple kids on a trampoline and they’re the smallest one, they’re more likely to get hurt since their bones are still developing.”

A 2022 report cited in a Mayo Clinic article indicates that more than 800,000 children sustained trampoline injuries in the U.S. between 2009 and 2018. The majority of those were under the age of 16, and the bulk of their injuries happened on trampolines at home.

Common Trampoline Injuries

Trampoline accidents usually – but not always – result in the following injuries: 

• Knee, ankle and foot sprains
• Fractures
• Head injuries including but not limited to concussions
• Neck trauma
• Spinal cord trauma
• Bumps, scrapes, cuts and bruises

These injuries happen when trampoline users land incorrectly or collide with one another. Falls from trampolines due to lack of protective netting can also result in these injuries. Attempting front flips, back flips or similar tricks increases the chances of incurring one or more of these trampoline injuries.

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Steps You Can Take To Avoid Trampoline Injuries

The good news is that trampoline injuries are avoidable.

 Simple precautions include limiting users to one at a time to prevent collisions; discouraging users from trying flips or tricks; using protective netting around the trampoline to reduce the risk of falls. Double check to make sure the trampoline is properly equipped with padding and covered springs before each use. 

Proper supervision is also an essential safety precaution, experts say. Specifically, they say that adults should always be on hand when kids are using a trampoline. This is so they can enforce any rules pertaining to multiple users and discourage users from trying risky stunts.

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Legal Strategies Used In Trampoline Injury Cases

Even when appropriate precautions are taken, accidents will sometimes happen. If you or a loved one suffers a serious trampoline injury, you may be able to pursue legal recourse. How this is done depends on your unique situation.

During your free consultation, our personal injury attorneys will ask for details about how and where the trampoline injury occurred. The answers will determine whether you have a viable case and if so, who we can take legal action against. This may be the trampoline manufacturer, the trampoline owner, or another trampoline user based on product liability or negligence.  Taking legal action against an indoor or outdoor trampoline park can be tricky – especially if the injured party signed a waiver. But it is not impossible.

In any case, it is important to get prompt legal advise from experienced trampoline injury lawyers. Contact Van Law Firm to learn more about your options following a trampoline accident today.