We love our kids to be active in sports because they enjoy it and the exercise is good for them. Jumping on trampolines is fun, and trampoline parks are a type of recreation that has grown in popularity nationwide during the past few years.
According to ABC News, in 2009 only a handful of trampoline parks existed but by 2014, there were 345 parks across the country.
Granted, not all injuries occur in trampoline parks. Schools have trampolines and some people have trampolines in their back yards. Even so, close to 100,000 trampoline-related injuries happen annually. Between 2000 and 2009, there were 22 trampoline-related deaths.
Many states have no regulations in place to monitor the industry for keeping parks as safe as possible. Parks typically regulate themselves. The Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that many trampoline accidents occur when more than one person jump on a trampoline at the same time.
Today Parents published an article about Kerley Thomasson, who lost her 30-year-old son in a trampoline accident in a Phoenix facility. In 2012, he somersaulted into a shallow foam pit and broke his neck. The mother said the facility had no medical procedure in place and most of the employees were under age 18. She since has worked to pass legislation to regulate trampoline recreation parks in Arizona. Arizona is the first state to regulate trampoline parks through Ty’s Law, named after her son Ty Thomasson.
Accident victims should seek legal counsel to find out about recourse whenever their injuries or a loved one’s are serious.