High Profile Inflatable Accidents Focus Attention on Safety of Bounce Houses
If your child attends a birthday party, church event or local warm weather carnival, there is a good chance a bounce house, waterslide, moonwalk or other inflatable might be a major attraction. While these inflatable are lots of fun for kids, they also can constitute a significant risk of injury. Thousands of kids across the United States are treated in emergency rooms annually for injuries caused by inflatables, and the number of injuries appears to be increasing.
This summer there have already been two devastating accidents involving inflatables that have made national news. One of the accidents that occurred in New York resulted in two boys, ages 5 and 6, suffering serious injury. The boys were propelled 15 feet into the air before slamming onto concrete and a motor vehicle. In the other serious Colorado bounce house accident, 2 kids were injured when their combination slide and bounce house went airborne.
While parents might be tempted to dismiss these incidents as freak accidents that are unlikely to reoccur, a study published by the journal Pediatrics reports that there were more than 11,000 bounce house injuries during a recent one year period. Further, the study found that the number of such injuries appear to be rising annually. Researchers for with the Center for Injury Research and Policy reviewed emergency room records. They found an average of 31 injuries per day related to use of inflatables. Injuries involved in these accidents typically were from kids colliding into one another rather than falling inside or out of the inflatable. The most common types of injuries included:
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Fractures
- Broken bones
- Teeth knocked out
- Concussions
- Cuts and abrasions
- Sprains
The recent accidents demonstrates a newer risk from inflatable that are not properly secured to the ground. When a bounce house is not properly affixed to the ground in windy conditions, the inflatable can be launched into the air. Kids inside might be thrown into the air and slammed back to the ground. This type of incident can cause devastating injuries.
When an inflatable accident occurs, the manufacturer of the bounce house might be liable based on product defect law. The company that supplies and sets up the inflatable or the party that is supervising use of the bounce house also might be liable for injuries based on negligence. The property owner where the inflatable is being used also could be financially responsible for an inflatable accident based on premises liability law. The property owner also will typically have homeowner’s insurance that could cover the claim.
Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years of Legal Experience to Work For Your Case!
If your child is injured in a bounce house accident, your child may be entitled to financial compensation for his or her injuries. Our Georgia personal injury lawyers at Montlick and Associates have been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over thirty years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/children-trapped-inside-flying-bounce-house-23946628
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bounce-house-maker-vows-investigate-freak-new-york-accident-n105261
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/14/us/new-york-state-bounce-house-accident/