At first glance, there appear to be nine trampoline parks in Ohio. There are only three in Kentucky, but the ones in Ohio are close enough, so altogether we’re looking at a dozen amusements parks designed to let kids bounce to their hearts’ content. If the park isn’t your thing, though, you can always purchase your own trampoline for the backyard, or enroll in a gymnastics class, or even rent a “bounce house” for your little ones.
All this jumping around is wreaking havoc on our bodies, and a new report from U.S. News & World Report claims that “U.S. emergency rooms saw a 12-fold increase in the number of patients injured at trampoline parks -- from 581 in 2010, to nearly 7,000 in 2014.” There is no doubt in our minds that those numbers will remain or even increase when we start seeing statistics for 2015 and 2016.
These are not “minor” injuries, either. The article goes on to say that while sprains and broken bones are the most common types of trampoline-related injuries, ERs around the country are also seeing an increase in neck and skull fractures, which can lead to TBIs. Bouncers risk injuring themselves when they fall, when they are around other kids or when they try to exit the trampolines.
Keeping your kids safe while they jump
We understand the popularity of trampoline parks: bouncing around is fun. But we also see clearly as adults that which we could not see as kids – namely, that the “cool” stuff we wanted to do to emulate our friends or our favorite Olympians can be really dangerous when you don’t know what you are doing.
If your child is a fan of trampoline parks, keep these tips in mind to keep him or her safe:
- Always supervise your children, even if they are not jumping.
- Do not allow your child to try stunts like flips without proper guidance from a professional, such as coach or personal trainer.
- Makes sure your child has plenty of room to play, and move him or her to a less crowded space if more kids join the area.
- Protective gear is always an option, provided it is not disallowed by the park.
- Keep your children away from areas where adults are jumping.
If you are still on the fence about letting your child play at a trampoline park, there is some good news: the increase in injuries only relates to the parks, so your child may see less of a risk of injury on a home trampoline (provided you follow the same safety rules).
Crandall & Pera Law providers comprehensive counsel for personal injury victims throughout Ohio and Kentucky. If your child sustained an injury while playing in a trampoline park, and that injury was the result of another person’s negligence, we may be able to help you. Call our Ohio personal injury lawyers at 877.686.8879, our Kentucky injury attorneys at 877.651.7764, or contact our office through this contact form.