If you wanted to find a trampoline park about a decade ago, you’d have a hard time doing it, as there were only about three around at the time. Now, according to Today, there are roughly 800 such trampoline parks around the country, and though they’ve become popular play areas for both children and adults, they can also present a serious risk of injuries and even death.
In a 2016 study published in the scientific journal Pediatrics, researchers found that in 2010, there were 581 emergency department visits for trampoline park injuries (TPIs). Just four years later, in 2014, there were nearly 7,000. Common injuries included fractures and spinal cord injuries.
According to CBS News, over the last seven years, at least six people have died from TPIs, but the number may be even higher, as many of those who are injured end up signing confidentiality agreements that prevent them from sharing their stories.
So far, nine states have regulations that apply to trampoline parks, including Utah, which recently passed a new law to make the parks safer. But on the whole, the industry is growing with little oversight.
Trampoline Park Injuries Increasing as More Parks are Built
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that between 2000 and 2009, there were 22 deaths related to all trampolines (in homes and in parks), and in 2012, about 94,900 hospital emergency room-treated injuries. These injuries are typically caused by the following:
- Colliding with another person on the trampoline
- Landing improperly while doing stunts or jumps
- Falling or jumping off the trampoline
- Falling on the trampoline springs or frame
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that while most trampoline injuries currently occur at home, the number of injuries in parks is rising along with the rising number of parks themselves. While the average number of trampoline-related emergency room visits per year remained fairly steady between 2010 and 2014 (about 92,000), park-related injuries shot up from 581 to 6,932. In 2011, about 35-40 parks existed in the U.S., as compared to 280 in 2014. There are now over 800, with no sign of the industry slowing down.
The academy has even gone so far as to recommend that pediatricians “actively discourage recreational trampoline use,” noting that trampoline injury rates have been increasing: “Families need to know that many injuries occur on the mat itself, and current data do not appear to demonstrate that netting or padding significantly decrease the risk of injury.”
Trampoline Parks Present More Danger Even than Home Trampolines
Meanwhile, it appears that trampoline parks may be even more dangerous than home trampolines. In a January 2019 study comparing trampoline-related injuries sustained at commercial jump parks versus home trampolines, researchers found the following results:
- Fractures and dislocations accounted for 55 percent of jump park injuries, versus 44 percent of home trampoline injuries.
- In adults, fractures and dislocations accounted for 45 percent of jump park injuries, versus 17 percent of home trampoline injuries.
- More lower extremity fractures were seen at jump parks versus home trampolines in both children and adults.
- Adults had a 23 percent surgical rate with jump park injuries versus a 10 percent surgical rate on home trampolines.
On the whole, there were more fractures/dislocations, lower extremity fractures, fractures in adults, and surgical interventions associated with jump parks versus home trampolines. Study author Dr. Ryan Voskuil noted that the jump park trampolines have a stronger bounce than home ones and that parks place obstacles around the trampolines to make the experience more exciting. Park trampolines are also interconnected, which can increase the risk of collisions and “double-bounces.”
In March 2019, the Utah Governor signed a new bill affecting trampoline parks across the state. The law requires the parks to follow safety standards, and get an inspection before acquiring a business license. They must also have liability insurance.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs, especially in mass tort litigation, Eric Chaffin prides himself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of his clients and their families. Both his work and his cases have been featured in the national press, including on ABC’s Good Morning America.
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