Trampoline parks are becoming a popular attraction in South Carolina, as elsewhere in the U.S., but experts don’t know how safe they really are. In January 2019, the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons published the results of a study comparing the rate of severe injuries, mainly dislocations and fractures, at trampoline parks and on home trampolines.
Researchers analyzed 439 patients with trampoline-related injuries. In general, 66% were injured on home trampolines and 34% at trampoline parks. However, this included all injuries in general. When considering severe injuries, 55% were incurred at trampoline parks compared to 44% at home. Among children, the fracture rate was 59% for the parks and 47% for home trampolines; among adults, the rates were 45% and 17%, respectively.
Many of the fractures were open fractures and required surgery. At a jump park, adults doubled their risk for fractures requiring surgery at 23% as opposed to 10%. Many park-goers attempt high-flying acrobatics and other risky moves that impair their coordination when they fall, which may account for the difference in numbers.
According to estimates from the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission, 100,000 Americans visited the emergency department in 2014 because of trampoline-related injuries. This number may be much higher now. The economic impact of trampoline park-related injuries may require further research.
Those who are injured at a park or on someone’s residential property may want to ask who was at fault. If the park owner failed to provide adequate security, or if the homeowner failed to warn against safety hazards, then victims may have a case under premises liability law. An attorney may help build a strong case because the other side will likely put up an opposition. With an attorney, victims may strive for a reasonable settlement or litigate.