[profileleft][/profileleft]The public would be outraged if researchers announced that injuries related to a toy had jumped 1,100 percent in four years. That’s exactly what happened between 2010 and 2014 in the United States at trampoline parks. According to a recent study, the problem of trampoline park injuries is getting much worse very quickly. Parents whose children are injured in this manner need to seek the advice of children’s rights lawyers. That’s because these situations involve a relatively complicated legal concept known as premises liability. Below is a brief overview of the study that has revealed what should have parents all over the United States very concerned. You will also find a brief discussion of the legal standards that apply to these situations.
About the Trampoline Park Injuries Study
Researchers at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center have released the study. It was published in the journal Pediatrics. The researchers reviewed emergency room reports that were mined from a national database. The time period studied ran from 2010 through 2014. The researchers found the following:
- In 2010, there were approximately 30 indoor trampoline parks in the United States.
- That number had increased to more than 300 in 2014.
- More than 90,000 people per year in the United States visited emergency rooms during this time frame because of trampoline injuries.
- The vast majority of these trampoline injuries occurred on private property.
- The number of trampoline park injuries in the United States in 2010 was approximately 600.
- The number of trampoline park injuries in the United States in 2014 was more than 7,000.
- People suffering trampoline park injuries were more likely to be hospitalized than those who were injured on home trampolines.
While the number of trampoline parks grew by a factor of 10 between 2010 and 2014, the number of trampoline park injuries grew by an even faster rate.
Trampoline Park Injuries – Who Is Responsible?
Generally speaking, trampoline park injuries fall under the realm of premises liability. Premises liability is basically an area of law that defines when a property owner or someone otherwise responsible for a piece of property is liable for injuries that occur on that property. With regards to trampoline park injuries, each situation will likely need to be analyzed by children’s rights lawyers. That’s because there are issues that could complicate matters including:
- Signing a waiver
- Negligence of other trampoline park users
- Comparative negligence
- Insurance matters
- Assumption of the risk
Despite these potential complications, owners of trampoline parks are responsible for providing safe equipment for use by customers. They are also expected to manage these properties properly such that the equipment is kept in a reasonable state of repair. In addition, those who manage these properties need to make sure that there aren’t too many people on a trampoline at any given time. They also need to remove any customer who is creating a dangerous situation.
As can be seen, trampoline park injuries can be serious and can involve several different layers of analysis. Regardless, people whose children have been wrongfully harmed at trampoline parks need to seek the help of children’s rights lawyers to make sure that their legal options are preserved and enforced. If this has happened to your child, contact Gomez Trial Attorneys today to schedule a free initial consultation.