By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Parents, schools, and organizations rent bounce houses every day. Yes, bounce houses can be fun but they can also be dangerous. Bounce houses are known to be a common area where personal injuries to children take place. When renting a bounce house, parents, schools, and organizations should be careful in which company / operator is selected. The following issues / questions should be considered:
Is the bounce house owner / operator insured?
Did the bounce house owner / operator provide you with a copy of the insurance?
What experience does the bounce house owner / operator have?
What training did the bounce house owner / operator receive?
What safety measures are put in place by the bounce house owner / operator?
Does the bounce house owner / operator provide supervision of the bounce house?
For the safety of the children, the following measures should be put in place:
* a tarp should be placed underneath the bounce house;
* the bounce house should be staked down or alternatively weighted down with weights or sandbags;
* the bounce house should be thoroughly inspected once it is inflated to make sure that there are no holes or tears in the unit;
* the bounce house should be attended by the owner / operator or other adult while in use by the children;
* children under the age of 3 should be kept out the unit;
(Safety experts may disagree on this age requirement or minimum age for use of bounce houses.)
* children of mixed age ranges and sizes should not be in the unit at the same time. In other words, it would be dangerous to have 12 year old children bouncing around with a 4 year old children.)
* the maximum number of children should not be exceeded.
There are other safety measures and procedures that can be utilized as well. Even with careful planning and supervision, injuries can still take place on or around bounce houses. It is clear, however, that the implementation of safety measures can reduce the incidents of personal injuries sustained in and around bounce houses.