Trampolines in your backyard?

[jfoofj]

My DS has one at his Dads, and he and his little brother and sister there love it. They have a net thingy around it and are supervised while using it, so I never had a problem with it. I have heard people mention that your homeowner's insurance might need to be updated, or they may drop you, but never really thought about it since we don't have one.

Our neighbors got one recently for their kids, and DS was over there playing with them (the parents had asked if I was ok with him playing in it, and I was because he uses one all the time) and he fell while climing out of the trampoline (they have the net thingy too) and landed on his elbow and hurt himself pretty bad. My neighbors FREAKED!!! They came running over to my house to get me yelling that DS broke his arm. I went over, and DS was hysterical and hurt (I think hysterical mostly because the neighbors were freaking, and he did bang his arm so it DID hurt). He ended up being fine, we iced the elbow, calmed him down, and he was able to move his arm in full range of motion. My neighbors wanted us to go to the ER for xrays, but I called DS's pediatrician and she said has long as he could move it, it didn' t swell up or give him any trouble, not to worry, but if it did to go in for an xray. We didn't, DS is fine, neighbors were relieved. I really think they thought we were going to sue them or something..... and honestly, I figured that our health insurance would have covered the ER trip/xrays if necessary but other people have told me it would have been their homeowners... I don't really understand that, BUT if that is true then I would NEVER have a trampoline in my yard, too much liability.

Oh, and DS's pediatrician HATES trampolines and said she will talk to my exH and his wife (his other 2 kids go to the same pediatrician) about the dangers of them.

 

[DISdreamin']

My sister warned us when we got our playset that there is some law that allows you to be sued if you have something in your yard that attracts kids so they come into your yard and get hurt (playset, trampoline, pool, etc). I don't know the specifics, just repeating what she told me.

It's that whole "attractive nuisance" thing...and it's scary!

 

[DVC-Don]

.................... I really think they thought we were going to sue them or something..... and honestly, I figured that our health insurance would have covered the ER trip/xrays if necessary but other people have told me it would have been their homeowners... I don't really understand that, BUT if that is true then I would NEVER have a trampoline in my yard, too much liability.
...............

Your health insurance would have covered the expense, but then would have tried to recover the money from their homeowners insurance.

 

[ceecee]

We bought ours at Sam's Club, it was larger and studier and had a really nice enclosure. The rules were...one person at a time jumping and no flips! It had a good pad over the springs too. Most of the time, DD and her friends would jump for a little while and then lay on it and look at the sky! We sold it when we moved because she just didn't use it anymore.
My friend's son just had to have root canals on three front teeth because he hit his friend while jumping on his tramp....thus the one at a time rule!

 

[Pixieflip]

Oh, and just so you know, my daughter with the knee injury this week...she was not doing any flips. She was just trying to exit the trampoline when she was double bounced by the other kid.

$84,000?? Yikes. I hope that no one else has to have that expense.

 

[Aristomommy]

Oh, and just so you know, my daughter with the knee injury this week...she was not doing any flips. She was just trying to exit the trampoline when she was double bounced by the other kid.

$84,000?? Yikes. I hope that no one else has to have that expense.

So there were more than one child on the trampoline? I think a lot of injuries happen because of that. We always enforced a one child at a time and no flips rule without an incident.

I hope your DD recovers ok. Best wishes.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Oh when my brother was talking to his insurance company (he is friends with the owner) he was told they use google earth to check things like backyard trampolines for policies we they aren't allowed.

Google earth to check for trampolines... I was on google earth the other day looking at my house and laughing. You can actually see the men on my roof replacing it. Their truck was on the side of my house too.. to bad that picture was from March 2005. My roof was damaged during Charley & by the time they came out to replace it, it was March 2005... so google earth's pictures are by from from updated for all.

 

[bumbershoot]

... and honestly, I figured that our health insurance would have covered the ER trip/xrays if necessary but other people have told me it would have been their homeowners... I don't really understand that, BUT if that is true then I would NEVER have a trampoline in my yard, too much liability.

Like DVC-Don later said, they will try to find other people to blame, after paying.

Initially my health insurance wanted to go after the home owner's insurance etc. I told them I really thought it was a fluke accident and the health insurance did pay.

Good for you! I take it you got the "was this due to anyone else?" letter? We got those when DS was burned and then when he fell while at Target. They wanted to offset what they paid (his visits weren't all that expensive, either) by going after the homeowners insurance of someone else, and I bet that Target one just made them jump up and down with joy! Alas for them, I told them the truth, that they were both just accidents, no one to blame.

If only other people knew to do that when they get The Letter.

Google earth to check for trampolines... I was on google earth the other day looking at my house and laughing. You can actually see the men on my roof replacing it. Their truck was on the side of my house too.. to bad that picture was from March 2005. My roof was damaged during Charley & by the time they came out to replace it, it was March 2005... so google earth's pictures are by from from updated for all.

I thought about that, too. But I assume the insurance people just look for a start, then find out in person.

 

[steph124ny]

My daughter the gymnast, a trained athlete, just blew out her knee on Tuesday on the neighbor's trampoline. No fracture, but after 5 days still can't put weight on it so needs an MRI this week. I can only imagine how long she'll be out of the gym needing rehab and who knows what else. And at what cost.

People do not respect the trampoline like they respect the pool. They are very fun, but unbelievably dangerous. The pp who has it in a yard that has no flat spot...you are asking for trouble. You cannot argue the laws of physics. And to the pp who said that anyone who is tall enough to climb up on their own should know better...have ya spent any time with middle schoolers or high schoolers??!! Their middle names are often "bad decisions!"

We are responsible for what happens in our yard, whether we are home or not, whether there is a lock on it or not or a fence or not. I vote NO WAY to the backyard trampoline.

I'm curious what your insurance company says...

My DD is a Level 8 gymnast who sprained her ankle badly on a backyard trampoline. We will not be getting one.

 

[Pixieflip]

So there were more than one child on the trampoline? I think a lot of injuries happen because of that. We always enforced a one child at a time and no flips rule without an incident.

I hope your DD recovers ok. Best wishes.

Yeah, that would be my rule, too. Unfortunately, the supervision at this home turns out to be nonexistent. She won't be returning.

 

[disney1990]

Google earth to check for trampolines... I was on google earth the other day looking at my house and laughing. You can actually see the men on my roof replacing it. Their truck was on the side of my house too.. to bad that picture was from March 2005. My roof was damaged during Charley & by the time they came out to replace it, it was March 2005... so google earth's pictures are by from from updated for all.

I think there is also a Real Time Google available.

 

[EMom]

I make no bones about the fact that I dislike trampolines and would never let DD on one. DH hates them worse than I do, since his childhood next door neighbor was made a quadriplegic due to a trampoline accident.

But even if I was a fan of them, no way on God's green earth would I have one in an UNFENCED back yard. Locked or not, that would most probably be classified as an attractive nuisance and if a kid can see it and get into it, you'll be on the hook for their accident. Trampolines attract kids like a moth to the flame. Do you really want to be responsible for the medical bills of some kid that made themselves welcome on your trampoline? I know I wouldn't.....

 

[aceys_h0ney]

It's that whole "attractive nuisance" thing...and it's scary!

That is scary I will make DH put our dirtbikes in the basement now. I don't need some neighborhood kid hoping the fence and trying to ride those things around the back yard!

 

[aceys_h0ney]

Oh and about the original post. I think you should have a fenced yard. You just can't control other people kids and I can really see some kid coming over while your gone, getting hurt and then suing. Unless you live in a rural area where neighbors are not that close.

I actually did want one until we got custody of my 13 yo step son. Holy cow that boy has trouble walking up the stairs. Just two weeks ago he had to have a splinter surgically removed from his hand from get this .... walking, yes he was walking and fell and got a huge splinter. My silly hubby went out and got dirt bikes for them to ride together I am scared to death. Thankfully my DSS so far can't get the bike in gear so he can ride it. I secretly pray that he never learns. Don't tell my hubby.

 

[kyl]

Our daughter has the worse broken arm I have ever seen and I am a registered nurse. As in it was nearly out of the skin and now has 3 wires holding it altogether. We had a "safety trampoline" with a full net around it. She broke it as she tried to break her fall on the mat by putting her arm out. It was her elbow that then went "snap". We have got ride of ours as a result. It was just such a horrible experience I would hate for others to feel the faulse safety associated with the netting that "protects" them because it doesn't.

 

[kacaju]

I figured that our health insurance would have covered the ER trip/xrays if necessary but other people have told me it would have been their homeowners... I don't really understand that, BUT if that is true then I would NEVER have a trampoline in my yard, too much liability.

My dd fell at home last year and hurt her elbow. Just a stupid thing, her and her sisters were horsing around and she fell. We took her to the ER per the ped. Her elbow started to swell.

About 6 months later I got a letter from our health insurance wanting to know what happened and where, because they were looking to see if another insurance company *could be* held accountable for the accident.


My brother and SIL have a trampoline and they have not notified their insrance company. I have told them and my kids that they are not allowed on it because if I got that letter over an accident at home (which her elbow was just fine) there is no way I want to my insurance company to sue my family if the kids got hurt on that trampoline.

 

[GeorgiaRose]

We've had ours for the past year. The kids play on it daily, and often use it for more than jumping. They play school on it, pretend it's jail, shoot baskets over the safety net, ect. Before we got it my dd broke her arm twice in four months, once severely, jumping on the couch. We do not have a fenced in yard, but the other 2 kids on our street have their own trampolines.

 

[luvdisney00]

We just got ours after years of the kids begging for one. They really love it and spend a lot more time outside jumping on it. All 3 of my girls are dancers and 1 is a cheerleader and it really does help them with their jumps, leaps and tumbling. We do have a fenced in yard, and no other kids on the block, but I do get a little nervous about kids who come over to play. I make sure that their parents know we have it and give permission to be on it. I held out for a long time, fearing safety issues, but it seems pointless when every other kid that my kids played with already had one. At least at my house I can watch them and enforce rules about safety.

 

[amylevan]

Would you really be held liable if someone trespasses into your yard without your permission when no one is home and got hurt on a trampoline? They are TRESPASSING!

 

[ShannonMB]

Google earth to check for trampolines... I was on google earth the other day looking at my house and laughing. You can actually see the men on my roof replacing it. Their truck was on the side of my house too.. to bad that picture was from March 2005. My roof was damaged during Charley & by the time they came out to replace it, it was March 2005... so google earth's pictures are by from from updated for all.

Totally, OT, but when I looked at my house on Google Earth I was in the picture! Totally cracked me up!

Back on topic, no way would I ever have a trampoline in my yard. I have, in the past, allowed DD to play on a friend's trampoline, and I was nervous the whole time, and I was out there, making sure it was one at a time so no dreaded "double bouncing". If I had one at home, I would feel like I had to be out there watching it like a hawk 24/7 to make sure everyone was following the rules or that no one was using it without permission. Too much stress for me!! I do agree that skating, bike riding, etc, can be dangerous, too. But I guess the fact that my homeowner's insurance explicitly asks about trampolines makes it feel like way too much liability for me.

Sorry to everyone who's had injuries! Hope those little bones heal up well!