Trampoline parks are enjoying a popularity boom. According to the International Association of Trampoline Parks (IATP), there were more than 1,000 trampoline parks open around the world at the end of 2017; in 2009, there were just three. Featuring party rooms, foam pits, and basketball hoops, trampoline parks are now sought-after venues for birthday parties, staff trips, and other group outings. However, more than one personal injury lawyer is now voicing concerns about the safety of the parks.
As trampoline parks have multiplied around North America, so too have personal injuries. American researcher Dr. Kathryn Kasmiure discovered that in the U.S.A., trampoline park injuries jumped from 581 in 2010 to 6,932 in 2015.
“The trend … is alarming,” Dr. Kasmire’s 2016 study reads. “Particularly concerning was the occurrence of severe and debilitating injuries such as spinal injuries.”
Other possible outcomes include brain injuries, shattered or severely broken bones, and serious ligament damage. In rare cases, trips to trampoline parks can be deadly.
This January, 46-year-old Jay Greenwood, a father of two, died at Extreme Air Park in Richmond, B.C. His death has sparked calls for regulation of these sometimes dangerous facilities.
“You don’t need to have professional experience working at these places. Or even to own a place like this,” said Victoria’s Sylvie Gilbert to the CBC. Last April, Gilbert’s eight-year-old daughter broke her back at a trampoline park.
“I just hope that this is going to push the municipal and the federal bodies to start to regulate these places, because they are very dangerous,” she said.
Currently, individuals who have been injured at trampoline parks have few options. While seriously injured accident victims should immediately contact a personal injury lawyer for guidance, many trampoline parks distribute liability waivers that substantially limit the duty of reasonable care they owe to their patrons.
In Ontario, liability waivers are generally enforceable, meaning civil lawsuits launched against trampoline parks are unlikely to succeed. However, recent changes to the province’s Consumer Protection Act (CPA) seek to prevent waiver providers from contracting out of the ‘implied warranty that all services be provided within a “reasonably acceptable quality,”’ AdvocateDaily.com reports. While no case to date has established a clear definition of “reasonably acceptable quality” for trampoline parks, the new CPA’s new provisions may lead to improved consumer safety in the future.
In the meantime, a good personal injury lawyer will advise clients to carefully read any liability waiver they sign, and to exercise caution when visiting a trampoline park.
If you or a member of your family has suffered a serious injury, contact Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers today to speak with an accomplished personal injury lawyer. For the past 45 years, our team has represented injured clients from across the Province of Ontario. Call us today to learn how we can help.
Image credit: cassiearmisten/Wikimedia Commons
Greg Neinstein
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