Trampoline Park, Bounce House and Amusement Injuries to Children
Trampoline parks, inflatable bounce houses, water parks and carnival rides are built for children and marketed to parents as safe. The injuries that come out of them are not minor: fractured legs from double-bouncing, neck and spinal injuries from flips, drownings at wave pools, and inflatables that blow away in the wind. Every one of these businesses asks you to sign a waiver first. Most of those waivers do far less than parents think.
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Where Children Are Hurt
Trampoline parks — double-bouncing, foam pits, dodgeball courts, unpadded springs and frames
Bounce houses and inflatables at birthday parties, church events and festivals, including blow-aways and collapses
Water parks — slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, lifeguard gaps
Carnival and fair rides — temporary rides with rushed setup
Go-karts, zip lines, climbing walls and ropes courses
Theme parks — ride malfunctions, height-requirement failures, operator error
Waivers: What They Cover and What They Don’t
Florida Statute § 744.301(3) lets a parent waive a commercial activity provider’s liability only for the inherent risks of the activity, and only if the waiver uses the statutory language and format. It does not cover the provider’s own negligence: a torn mat, an untrained attendant, a missing height check, a ride that failed inspection, or an inflatable staked into dry sand on a windy day. Bring the waiver to your consultation. We read these every week, and most of them don’t do what the business thinks they do.
Inspections and Standards
Amusement rides in Florida, including temporary rides at fairs and carnivals, must be permitted and inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and operators must keep inspection and maintenance records. Trampoline parks and inflatables are measured against national industry standards for padding, spacing, supervision and anchoring. When a child is hurt, those records are the first thing we request, and a missing or failed inspection is strong evidence of negligence.
Who Is Responsible
The park or venue operator and its liability insurer
The franchisor, when it set the safety rules the location ignored
The inflatable rental company that delivered and anchored the unit
The party host or event organizer in some cases
The manufacturer of a defective ride, slide or inflatable
A city or county that runs a water park or fair, subject to § 768.28 notice rules and caps
What to Do First
Get medical care, and ask for imaging; growth-plate fractures are easy to miss.
Photograph the equipment, the padding, the signage and the staffing before you leave.
Get the names of attendants and other parents who saw it.
Ask for the incident report, and send a written request to preserve video.
Keep the waiver and any wristband or ticket.
Deadlines
Two years from the injury. Surveillance video at these venues is often overwritten within a week; call us immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
I signed the trampoline park’s waiver. Is the case over?
No. Under Florida law a parent can waive only the inherent risks of the activity, on a specific statutory form. The park’s own negligence — bad equipment, poor supervision, broken rules — is not waivable.
My child was hurt by another child at the trampoline park. Who is responsible?
Often the park. Double-bouncing and collisions are exactly what attendants are there to prevent, and parks that mix age groups or skip supervision are responsible for the predictable result.
A bounce house blew over at a birthday party. Who do we claim against?
Usually the rental company that set it up, and sometimes the host’s homeowner’s insurance. Anchoring and wind-speed rules are well established, and a blow-away almost always means they were ignored.
Does Florida inspect carnival rides?
Yes. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services permits and inspects amusement rides, including temporary ones. We obtain the ride’s inspection and incident history as part of every case.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. No attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation; costs and expenses may apply. The consultation is free and confidential.
📞 Call (904) 619-5244 · Text Us · Free Case Review
Free and confidential. No fee unless we recover compensation; costs and expenses may apply.
Related: Amusement park injuries · Drowning and pool injuries · Jacksonville child injury lawyer
Reviewed by Belkis Plata and Shannon Schott, attorneys Board Certified in Juvenile Law by The Florida Bar. Updated October 2026.