How to Reduce the Risk of Personal Injury on Trampolines

As the weather gets nicer and the days get longer, we reminisce about our childhood summers, playing in swimming pools and bouncing on trampolines. Countless kids ask for trampolines every Christmas, but before you decide to purchase, it’s important to consider the dangers hidden in this popular backyard toy. Continue reading to learn about premises and product liability and preventing liability in case of trampoline injuries.

If you do own a trampoline, it’s important to be aware of the types of liability surrounding the product.

• Premises Liability: If an injury occurs on your property, you may be held liable and responsible.
• Product Liability: Product designers, manufacturers, or retailers could be held responsible for injuries caused by their defective product.

In the unfortunate event that injury or wrongful death happens while using a trampoline, people will often ask, “Who is at fault?” Before you can answer this, you have to determine the cause of the injury. It usually falls in one of these three categories:

• The trampoline was defective
• The owner did not assemble or maintain it properly
• The users did not use it responsibly

One way to limit your exposure to liability is to require all users to sign a waiver before they jump on your trampoline. Just like at commercial trampoline centers, using a waiver protects you, the owner, from unnecessary responsibility for someone’s injury.

While trampolines can make for great fun, it’s important to set some basic ground rules to minimize the risks of personal injury accidents. Promote everyone’s safety with the following trampoline guidelines from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission:

• Adult supervision required at all times, whether by you or the parents of other children involved
• Only one person allowed to jump at a time
• No flips or acrobatics
• No children under 6 allowed on the trampoline

While you can’t prevent visitors from using your trampoline when you’re not around, keep these tips in mind to teach kids that safety and responsibility go hand-in-hand with having fun. If you’re still curious about product and premises liability, or would like to discuss a personal injury case further, contact personal injury lawyer Paul Galm today.