Trampoline parks have become a staple for weekend entertainment and birthday parties across the US. They offer high-energy fun, but the risk of injury is real. We see broken bones, spinal damage, and concussions happen far too often. Before you or your kids can jump, the facility demands a signature on a digital pad. That waiver is designed to protect the business, but does it strip away all your rights?
Many victims assume a signed contract means the door to the courthouse is locked. They think the business has total immunity. That is rarely the whole story. Waivers are strong legal shields, but they have cracks. Under the right set of facts, a judge can set that document aside and allow an injured person to seek justice.
What the Waiver Actually Covers
A liability waiver is essentially a deal. You agree to accept the normal risks of the activity, and the park agrees to let you use their equipment. If you land wrong and sprain an ankle, or if two jumpers accidentally bump into each other, the waiver usually applies. Courts generally respect these contracts when it comes to “ordinary negligence.”
Ordinary negligence is a simple mistake. It’s a momentary lapse in attention or a minor slip-up. The law acknowledges that jumping on a trampoline is inherently dangerous. You cannot remove every risk, even with good staff and soft mats. If the injury stems from the nature of the sport, the waiver likely holds up.
But a waiver is not a blank check for the business to do whatever it wants. It does not cover everything.
Mistakes and Recklessness
The biggest vulnerability in a waiver is gross negligence. While ordinary negligence is a mistake, gross negligence is a choice. It happens when a business ignores a known danger or acts with total disregard for the safety of its patrons.
If a trampoline park acts in a reckless way, the waiver often fails. Courts rarely allow a business to contract away liability for extreme carelessness.
Consider these scenarios where a waiver might crumble:
- Broken Equipment: When the staff knows a spring is snapped or a pad is missing but opens that section anyway.
- Missing Guards: The park is understaffed, leaving dozens of jumpers without anyone watching.
- Rule Violations: Staff members watch as big kids double-bounce toddlers, violating the park’s own size separation rules, and do nothing to stop it.
- Intoxicated Staff: Employees operating equipment while under the influence.
If your injury happened because the facility chose profit over basic safety protocols, the waiver may not apply.
Waiving the Right for Our Children
This is one of the trickiest parts of injury law. In some states, a parent can sign away a child’s right to sue. In others, the courts protect minors more aggressively. They may rule that a parent cannot waive a child’s future legal claims.
This means that even if you signed the document, your child might still have a valid claim. Or, if a teenager went to the park with a friend and signed the waiver themselves, that contract is likely void. Minors generally cannot enter into binding legal agreements. If the park didn’t get a parent’s signature, they likely have no defense.
The Fine Print Matters
Judges do not like tricks. For a waiver to work, it has to be clear. It must be written in plain English, not buried in a wall of tiny text. The specific word “negligence” usually needs to appear.
If the waiver was presented on a broken screen, or if the employee rushed you and said, “just sign here to get in,” without giving you a chance to read it, we can challenge it. Also, the waiver only covers the activity. If a ceiling tile falls on your head in the lobby, or you slip on a wet floor in the bathroom, that has nothing to do with trampoline risks. The waiver shouldn’t block those claims.
Don’t Let the Park Decide Your Case
After an accident, the facility managers and their corporate backers will tell you that you have no case. They will wave the digital signature in your face. Do not take legal advice from the people liable for your injury.
We need to look at the evidence. We check maintenance logs, interview witnesses, and review camera footage. We look for the difference between an honest accident and a reckless failure to keep people safe.
Get a Professional Opinion
If you or a family member suffered a serious injury, you need to know where you stand. Do not guess about the validity of a waiver. Let us review the facts.
Visit us at 15 Broad St #800 Boston, MA 02109.
Or call now for a free consultation on (617) 263-0860.