Hobbsr: $3M Settlement for Man Paralyzed at AirMaxx Trampoline Park

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

$3M Settlement for Man Paralyzed at AirMaxx Trampoline Park

In life, like in business, sometimes the most rewarding things, involve the most risk. Unfortunately for thrill seekers, there are some pretty serious consequences. In 2015, a 39-year-old Minnesota man was at an AirMaxx trampoline park with his son and wound up paralyzed from the neck down due to jump and fall. The facility had a foam pit that the man jumped into; but he landed on his neck, severing his spinal cord.

Despite having signed a waiver of liability prior to starting to jump around, the man’s attorneys alleged gross negligence, which generally cannot be waived. The trampoline park and plaintiff recently settled the man’s injury case for $3 million during mediation.

Big Settlement From Big Injuries

When someone is permanently injured in a disabling way, no financial award may adequately compensate the loss. For the plaintiff in this case, while $3 million is a lot of money, he is now paralyzed from the neck down. Much of the $3 million will be needed for future health care costs, and to adapt to a completely changed way of life. At 39 years old, he still has a significant life expectancy ahead of him, and likely will be unable to work.

Trampolines are dangerous and can lead to big liability because of the risk of big injuries. An older case that made headlines for the large $14.7 million settlement was the 2012 case of an adult injured twenty years before, while in middle school, as a result of trampoline accident at school. Similarly, the plaintiff there was paralyzed as a result of the trampoline accident, which justifies the multi-million dollar settlement amount.

Catastrophic Injuries

When a person suffers a catastrophic, life changing injury, seeking legal counsel from a qualified injury attorney is likely advisable. If the injury is the result of another’s negligence, or worse, an intentional act, you may be able to bring a legal action. Even if you are partly to blame, depending on whether your state follows contributory or comparative negligence rules, you may still be able to recover.

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