In 2023, a Tampa jury granted a verdict in favor of a child injured in a Florida trampoline park. The jury awarded approximately $680K after a four-day trial against Summit Adventure Park Spring Hill, a now-defunct trampoline park. Of the total award, over $500K was designated for pain and suffering.
The case was about an 11-year-old boy who was injured on an attraction called the “Wipeout Arm” at the trampoline park. The boy’s lawyers argued that the Defendant Park negligently operated the attraction.
The basis of their argument was that the Wipeout Arm was run at an unsafe speed and without proper supervision. The plaintiff also argued that the trampoline park was understaffed. The young boy was injured after being struck by the Wipeout Arm’s rotating beam. Specifically, he suffered a comminuted spiral fracture of his femur (leg) which required surgery.
The defendant argued that the park was not negligent, and that the injuries were an inherent risk of playing at trampoline parks. The boy’s legal team presented evidence at trial, including surveillance footage and witness accounts, which illustrated an attraction that was left unattended, and which accelerated to an unsafe speed.
The boy’s lawyers compared this evidence against instructional materials from the trampoline park regarding the Wipeout Arm. The legal team established negligence by proving deviations from those instructional materials with respect to the recommended speed, supervision, and operation protocols for the Wipeout Arm.
For more detailed insights and information about the case, please visit: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/jury-returns-680-656-verdict-for-child-injured-at-trampoline-park-vinas-deluca-pllc-0d16db40.
Unfortunately, the Wipeout attraction is permitted for use in the State of North Carolina. In fact, the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams recently resolved a case involving the Wipeout in a North Carolina case involving a serious injury to a young boy. Details will be provided in a subsequent blog post. The bottom line is that the Wipeout, along with other attractions commonly found in trampoline parks, present hidden dangers which have resulted in serious injuries to countless North Carolina visitors. If you or a family member have been seriously injured in a North Carolina trampoline park and want to explore your rights, you are invited to contact the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams in Winston-Salem for a free consultation.
