During the hot New York summers, some kids may enjoy the idea of going into the backyard and bouncing on a trampoline. However, what their parents may not be aware of is that these contraptions are responsible for thousands of trips to the local emergency department every year.
Several studies have shown just how dangerous outdoor home trampolines can be. For example, there were 288,876 reported broken bones between 2002 and 2011. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the majority of the fractures occurred to the forearms, elbows and wrists. Other common fractures occurred to the legs and ankles. It was noted that the most common injuries caused by trampolines included sprains and soft-tissue injuries. Further, an estimated 10 percent of trampoline injuries involved the head and neck.
While outdoor home trampolines are known to result in injuries, indoor trampoline parks can also cause serious injuries. While a child is always at risk for falling off a trampoline, some injuries occur when other individuals using the same trampoline bounce at the wrong time or come down from a bounce too hard on another person.
Trampolines in indoor parks and in backyards are known to be dangerous and cause injuries. As such, trampolines do represent a hazard that owners can mitigate by preventing others from using irresponsibly. If a child or teen suffers an injury when using a trampoline at someone else's home or at a business, the child's parent might seek compensation for medical costs and other damages by filing a premises liability lawsuit. An attorney may determine if the property owner can be held liable and provide documentation of the extent of the injuries. In some cases, the attorney may be able to negotiate a settlement with the property owner's insurance company.
