Bounce House Injuries On the Rise
Bounce houses seem innocent enough. And they’re safer than roller coasters and other high-adventure rides. Right?
Unfortunately, bounce houses can be just as dangerous as more traditional rides. Take this example from Nashua, New Hampshire: In the fall of 2014, two toddlers were playing in a bounce house at a Halloween festival when a gust of wind lifted the inflatable house right off the ground. One of the children’s mothers tried to hold onto a rope attached to the house, but she couldn’t hang on. The bounce house carried the boys 50 feet into the air, severely injuring them both. Investigators determined that the house wasn’t staked down, and the families filed a personal injury lawsuit.
That is not the only time something like this has happened. A similar incident occurred here in Fort Lauderdale in 2016. Three children playing in a bounce house were injured when a tornado lifted the inflatable house 20 feet into the air at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. One of the families sued the city and the bounce house vendor, alleging that the vendor didn’t properly secure the house, failed to monitor the weather, and wasn’t prepared to handle emergencies.
Does Florida Regulate Bounce Houses?
Bounce houses and other inflatable attractions aren’t always strictly regulated. Unfortunately, Florida is one of the states that doesn’t oversee the bounce house industry. There are no inspection laws or regulations making bounce house vendors strictly liable for injuries caused by their negligence.
However, that doesn’t mean normal negligence laws don’t apply to them. Anyone who offers a bounce house can be found liable under Florida negligence law when patrons are injured. That includes parents who rent bounce houses for birthday parties.
Unfortunately, bounce house accidents are becoming far too common.
A Growing Trend
The Nashua and Fort Lauderdale incidents are not the only instances where children have been injured because of a bounce house. The number of bounce house injuries increased from 5,311 in 2003 to 17,377 in 2013, according to a Consumer Product Safety Commission report. That trend has only continued to grow. Another analysis found that the number of injuries rose to more than 20,000 in 2017.
What Should I Do If My Child Is Injured in a Bounce House?
Seek medical help immediately. Then contact an experienced personal injury attorney, who will help you investigate the facts and determine whether you have a viable personal injury claim. You only have four years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, so we need to act quickly.
Contact Us Today
Contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney at The Pendas Law Firm today for a free consultation if your child was injured in a bounce house. We will examine the facts of your case and help determine whether negligence was a factor. We can help recover compensation for your child’s injuries.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Daytona Beach and Bradenton areas.
Resources:
cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Inflatable_Amusements_Deaths_and_Injuries_2015.pdf
sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-lauderdale-bounce-house-lawsuit-20160422-story.html
usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/04/bounce-house-injuries-skyrocketing/830807001/
