Gary Coal Man
Footballguy
I had long known about reports like the one below that highlighted the injuries occurring at trampoline parks across America...
Trampoline parks exploding in popularity, but expert warns of "catastrophic injuries"
CBS News, March 29, 2019
On most weekends, trampoline parks are at capacity with hundreds of kids bouncing, jumping into pits, and playing tag. The popular theme parks have exploded into a billion-dollar industry. But in the last seven years, CBS News has confirmed at least six people have died from injuries at trampoline parks. That number could be even higher because many of those injured are often forced into arbitration and sign confidentiality agreements that stop them from speaking out, reports CBS News' Meg Oliver.
The parks' popularity is leading to new cases for attorneys like David Chazen, who represents more than a dozen people injured at trampoline parks in New Jersey. In one video of a trampoline park that he showed us, you could see a father unknowingly causes what's known as a "double bounce." His 4-year-old son falls to the mat. "The force of the trampoline coming back up after the father's hop across broke the 4-year-old's femur," Chazen said.
It took almost a full minute before anyone, including the guard on duty, realized the child was squirming in pain.State lawmakers in Utah recently passed a new law to try to make trampoline parks safer. Utah joins at least seven other states requiring more oversight from insurance companies and annual inspections. In the U.S., all of them operate without any federal oversight.
Don McPherson has coached gymnastics for more than 40 years. Since 2011 he's been an expert witness in more than 200 plaintiff cases against trampoline parks. He said the injuries they can cause are life-altering.
"Broken necks, broken backs, dislocated and open-fractured elbows, shoulders," McPherson said. "They're all catastrophic injuries."
McPherson said the danger lies in the design. Several trampolines are connected with steel cables or chain links under thin padding. As people jump, waves of energy are generated in all directions, which can cause those "double bounces" that can end in high-impact collisions.
"They're moving at speeds and with energy that when they hit or get hit by somebody else that's twice their weight, they end up with crush injuries," McPherson said.
I was never overly-concerned about reports like the one above, though, as I shepherded my daughter on the trampoline park birthday circuit.
That changed during the trampoline park party I attended yesterday, however. One of the boys at the party, a seven year old, came scurrying back to the parents with tears running down his cheeks. I didn’t think much of it. As parents of young kids know, bumps and bruises happen and kids often wildly overreact.
The kid was saying his wrists hurt. Both wrists. They didn’t look bad, but just to be safe the parents took him to the hospital or clinic. My wife later checked in with the mother to see if everything turned out OK. But everything didn’t turn out OK. Quite the opposite. The boy broke both lower arm bones —on both arms. Ouch! What a horrible way for a little man to spend his Summer with both arms in casts.
Parents, have you witnessed any injuries on the trampoline park party circuit? Do these parties concern you or is it just part of growing up and their are hidden dangers in loads of kids activities?
Trampoline parks exploding in popularity, but expert warns of "catastrophic injuries"
CBS News, March 29, 2019
On most weekends, trampoline parks are at capacity with hundreds of kids bouncing, jumping into pits, and playing tag. The popular theme parks have exploded into a billion-dollar industry. But in the last seven years, CBS News has confirmed at least six people have died from injuries at trampoline parks. That number could be even higher because many of those injured are often forced into arbitration and sign confidentiality agreements that stop them from speaking out, reports CBS News' Meg Oliver.
The parks' popularity is leading to new cases for attorneys like David Chazen, who represents more than a dozen people injured at trampoline parks in New Jersey. In one video of a trampoline park that he showed us, you could see a father unknowingly causes what's known as a "double bounce." His 4-year-old son falls to the mat. "The force of the trampoline coming back up after the father's hop across broke the 4-year-old's femur," Chazen said.
It took almost a full minute before anyone, including the guard on duty, realized the child was squirming in pain.State lawmakers in Utah recently passed a new law to try to make trampoline parks safer. Utah joins at least seven other states requiring more oversight from insurance companies and annual inspections. In the U.S., all of them operate without any federal oversight.
Don McPherson has coached gymnastics for more than 40 years. Since 2011 he's been an expert witness in more than 200 plaintiff cases against trampoline parks. He said the injuries they can cause are life-altering.
"Broken necks, broken backs, dislocated and open-fractured elbows, shoulders," McPherson said. "They're all catastrophic injuries."
McPherson said the danger lies in the design. Several trampolines are connected with steel cables or chain links under thin padding. As people jump, waves of energy are generated in all directions, which can cause those "double bounces" that can end in high-impact collisions.
"They're moving at speeds and with energy that when they hit or get hit by somebody else that's twice their weight, they end up with crush injuries," McPherson said.
I was never overly-concerned about reports like the one above, though, as I shepherded my daughter on the trampoline park birthday circuit.
That changed during the trampoline park party I attended yesterday, however. One of the boys at the party, a seven year old, came scurrying back to the parents with tears running down his cheeks. I didn’t think much of it. As parents of young kids know, bumps and bruises happen and kids often wildly overreact.
The kid was saying his wrists hurt. Both wrists. They didn’t look bad, but just to be safe the parents took him to the hospital or clinic. My wife later checked in with the mother to see if everything turned out OK. But everything didn’t turn out OK. Quite the opposite. The boy broke both lower arm bones —on both arms. Ouch! What a horrible way for a little man to spend his Summer with both arms in casts.
Parents, have you witnessed any injuries on the trampoline park party circuit? Do these parties concern you or is it just part of growing up and their are hidden dangers in loads of kids activities?
my kid is much more athletic. we won't be visiting any of them this summer.
I think you missed the point about how physics cause terrible injuries. 
