Injured on a Bounce House

Bounce House Injuries Are More Common Than You Think

Bounce houses are popular features at kids parties these days, and they look like harmless fun. After all, these huge inflatables offer kids a chance to jump and flip and bounce around on a soft surface. What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, bounce house injuries are actually quite common, and a lot of the time the injuries are caused by improper use (and inadequate supervision).

If a couple of small children are playing together, supervised, on a bounce house, then it should be quite safe. However, what often happens is that older children and young children play together. This can lead to injuries because older children are bigger, stronger, heavier, and are more likely to be doing dangerous stunts.

If an older child is climbing up the "neck of the giraffe" or the "castle spire" and jumping off, there's the risk that they might land on a smaller child. The same is true if they're doing flips or other stunts, or decide to be "playful" and throw a smaller child around.

Knocks and Bumps Can be Amplified on a Bounce House

When two kids bump heads while they're running and playing in a field, the result might be tears and a bit of a fright, but they'll be back playing again in no time. When two kids bump heads on a bounce house, the damage can be more serious because the kids are not in control of their movements. The 'bounciness' of the bounce house means that their weight is flying around at uncontrolled angles and with more speed than they normally would.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that in the five years between 2008 and 2013, there were 82,203 injuries associated with inflatables. Of those 90 percent were caused by bounce house use. This figure includes only injuries which were serious enough to require an ER visit. Any scrapes, sprains or bruises that were treated at home aren't counted.  Two-thirds of the reported injuries were to the arms and legs, while fifteen percent were to the head or face.  The Pediatrics journal reports that in 2010, there were so many injuries on bounce houses that it works out to one child getting hurt every 46 minutes.

Improper Set Up and Supervision Makes Injuries More Likely

A lot of injuries occur either because the bounce house was not secured properly, so the house gets 'blown away' in the wind, with people still in them. Injuries can also occur if the bounce house operator allows too many people on at the same time, allows people on to the bounce house while wearing sharp objects or shoes, or allows adults or older children onto a bounce house with smaller children.

What Should You Do if Your Child Was Injured?

If your child has been injured while playing on a bounce house, you may have a case against the people who were in charge of it. There are law firms that have a lot of experience in dealing with bounce house negligence cases, and it is a good idea to consult one of those so that you can make sure that your case is dealt with properly.

Be sure to document everything about the injury. What happened, who else was on the bounce house, how general safety was handled and how many people were allowed on at once, as well as how first aid was handled at the time. If you are the owner of the bounce house and you felt that it was poorly made or that a defect led to the injury, then take photos and save any correspondence. Explain your concerns to the law firm, they will most likely have encountered similar issues before and will be able to tell you if you have a case.