Trampoline parks are all over San Diego and they are very popular sites for children’s birthday parties, but are they actually safe for children? Reportedly around 250,000 trampoline injuries occur each year and most of these injuries are sustained by children fourteen years of age and under. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that no child under the age of six use trampolines and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against trampoline use by children at all.
Trampoline park safety
San Diego area trampoline parks are available for kids’ birthday parties so they can celebrate birthdays with trampoline jumping and pizza and other fun activities. Some of the parks advertise for party extras such as jumping under strobe lights or glow in the dark parties. Trampoline parks have different party packages and some allow for 20 or more jumpers at a time! Can you imagine a birthday party of more than 20 kids jumping on trampolines, especially younger children? You have to wonder if these trampoline parks provide adequate supervision for that many children at a time.
Types of injuries
Common trampoline injuries include broken bones in the arms, wrists, elbows, and legs. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that 30% of trampoline injuries are fractures and 60% of those fractures occur in the upper extremities while 36% occur in the lower extremities. Joint injuries, spinal injuries, and dislocations are common as well. The risk of injury increases when more than one child is jumping on a trampoline at a time, so it is highly recommended that only one supervised child jumps at a time.
How injuries occur
Trampoline injuries can occur in a number of ways. Sometimes children just land wrong causing fractures or dislocations. Trampoline surfaces can be slippery causing slip and fall injuries. As previously mentioned, the risk of injury greatly increases when more than one child is jumping on a trampoline at a time and the park may have rules in place for that, but poor trampoline park supervision, especially for younger kids, may result in multiple children jumping at a time and falling on top of each other.
Liability and waivers
Trampoline parks generally require that every adult participant or parents of minor participants sign waivers. These waivers are intended to eliminate the trampoline park’s liability for injuries sustained at the park. California does enforce liability waivers for children signed by parents in many situations, but not in all. For example, a provision releasing a trampoline park for its own gross negligence is generally not enforceable under California law.
If you or your child has been injured on a trampoline, contact a San Diego trampoline injury attorney at Hiden, Rott & Oertle, LLP for a consultation. Our trampoline injury experts will review the facts of your case, the extent of injuries sustained, and any liability waivers that were signed. We want to see that you are compensated for injuries and damages caused by someone else’s fault.