The Extreme Dangers of Trampolines and Child Injuries
Trampolines provide hours of fun, exercise, and entertainment, leading many parents to purchase one for home use or take children to trampoline parks. Unfortunately, you could be putting your child at extreme risk of injuries without realizing it. Statistics on trampoline injuries indicate that more than 100,000 people visit hospital emergency rooms every year, and approximately one-third of these victims suffer broken bones. A closer look at the data reveals that almost 80% of these injuries are to victims under 14 years old.
If your child was hurt in a trampoline accident, Alaska personal injuries laws may provide you with legal remedies. Parents have standing to pursue those responsible for causing harm to their child, so you may be able to recover compensation for the losses your family sustains. An Anchorage, AK child injuries attorney can explain the details, since there may be multiple potential parties and theories of liability to pursue. Some background information should be useful.
How Trampoline Injuries Happen
While watching children gleefully jump and bounce on a trampoline, you may not realize the dangers from the apparatus, the surrounding area, and other users. Trampoline accidents are frequently caused by:
- Too many people on the trampoline, a factor behind around 75% of all incidents;
- Older children performing stunts and being daredevils;
- Falling on the trampoline springs or frame, which are typically not padded;
- Getting caught between the trampoline and wall, at commercial trampoline parks with wall-mounted apparatus;
- Being ejected from the trampoline, in which case the secondary impact often causes severe injuries; and
- Broken springs, tears in the trampoline fabric or netting, and other equipment malfunctions.
Seeking Compensation for Child Injuries
Though the specific causes may vary, trampoline accidents are sometimes the result of negligence. This means you must prove that the at-fault party failed to exercise reasonable care with managing use of the trampoline, and this breach of duty was the direct cause of the accident. In a successful claim, it is possible to recover compensation for your child’s medical costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses. Parents who are forced to take time off work to care for an injured child may also qualify to obtain amounts for lost wages.
From the different causes of trampoline accidents mentioned above, you can see that there may be multiple potential parties to pursue for compensation. For instance, you might take legal action against:
- A homeowner who was negligent in allowing children to use a trampoline;
- The commercial trampoline park that was careless in operating its business; or,
- The manufacturer of the trampoline, if defects were the reason for the accident.
An Alaska Child Injury Lawyer Will Assist With Legal Remedies
It is encouraging to know that parents have options after a child suffers trampoline accident injuries, but you can see the challenges with enforcing your rights. You can count on Power & Power Law to handle the legal details, so please contact our offices in Anchorage, Alaska today. You can call 907-222-9990 or visit our website to set up a free case review with an experienced child injuries attorney.