What Injures are Associated with Bounce House Play by Children?

At amusement parks, theme parks, birthday parties, special events, and other locations, bounce houses are commonly seen in virtually every community. For most children, bounce houses are fun and a great place to play with friends; however, for others, a bounce houses are the sites of serious personal injuries. In the Journal Pediatrics, it was reported that injuries to children in bounce houses increased dramatically during the years 1995 to 2010. Nationwide Children's Hospital is the location for the Center for Injury Research and Policy. The Center was involved with a research study that collected data and information regarding the statistics of children injured while playing in bounce houses, moonwalks, and inflatable play areas.

It was reported that approximately 30 children per day were treated in the emergency rooms for hospitals in 2010. The rise in injuries was reported as follows: 702 injuries in 1995 to over 11,000 injuries in 2010. The most common causes of injuries were reported as falls and then stunts and collisions. For more information, see Bounce House Injuries on the Rise for Children.

Due to the prevalence of bounce house related injuries, child safety advocates are calling for guidelines to be put in place for the use of bounce houses by children and supervision of children by adults during bounce house play.

If a child is injured during bounce house play, a claim or case may be pursued on behalf of the injured child. An injury that takes place in a bounce house does not automatically turn into a claim or case. In order to establish a claim or case for personal injuries, there must be a showing of fault or negligence for the injuries. Here are some issues that should be considered:

• How many children were playing at the time of the incident?
• What were the ages of the children playing at the time of the incident?
• Were different age groups playing at the same time?
• How was the child injured?
• What adult supervision was in place at the time of the incident?
• Was the child injured by stunts or horseplay?
• Were the injuries preventable with better supervision? safety measures?
• Was the bounce house set up appropriately according to manufacturer standards?
• Was the bounce house being used according to manufacturer standards?

Since not every bounce house injury turns into a case or claim, a parent should consult with a Florida Child Injury Lawyer for advice, consultation, and possible legal representation. The book titled - The ABCs of Child Injury - Legal Rights of the Injured Child - What Every Parent Should Know - has chapters on School Injuries, Day Care Center Injuries, Playground Injuries, and other topics. You can get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury. Another good resource for parents is the book titled - Florida Day Care Center Injuries - Legal Rights of the Injured Child - Building Blocks of Knowledge for Parents. This book has chapters on Outdoor Facilities including Playgrounds, Indoor Facilities, Record Keeping, Emergency Procedures, and other topics. You can get this book for free at Florida Day Care Center Injuries.