Trampoline parks have grown into a popular destination, and market research expects them to keep expanding for years to come. They feature large rooms lined wall to wall with trampolines framed by cushioned borders, and most add attractions like foam pits and airbags. Kids and adults alike love bouncing in them.
But if you have ever visited one, you probably signed a waiver before you were allowed on the trampolines, and the language in that waiver seemed to shield the park from any responsibility if you got hurt. That fine print discourages many injured people from ever calling a lawyer. In Virginia, they usually aren't enforceable because most pre-injury liability waivers aren't enforceable here. A Norfolk personal injury lawyer can review the facts of your case and tell you whether you may be entitled to compensation, even if you signed.
Our firm has represented injured clients throughout Virginia and North Carolina since 1985, and we handle injury cases exclusively. You can read more about our background at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. Here is why that waiver may carry less weight than you think.
Trampoline Park Injuries Can Be Severe
These are not gentle playgrounds. A 2024 study in the medical journal Pediatrics found that trampoline park injuries occur in significant numbers and sometimes carry serious consequences. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has similarly reported that trampoline and jump parks are linked to a higher share of fractures among both children and adults, including lower-extremity fractures, open fractures, and fractures requiring surgery, when compared with home trampolines.
Safety measures at these parks have improved in recent years, but the danger has not disappeared. Broken bones, sprains, dislocations, spinal injuries, and head injuries all happen at these facilities. If you or a loved one was hurt at one and you signed a waiver on the way in, it is natural to wonder whether you still have any rights.
Why Pre-Injury Waivers Are Usually Void in Virginia
At most parks, you have to sign the liability waiver before you can access the trampolines. You can refuse, but then you generally will not be let in. Because the waiver states that the business is not responsible for any injuries, losses, or damages, many people assume that signing it forecloses any legal claim. In Virginia, that assumption is usually wrong.
Virginia is one of the few states that refuses to enforce these waivers, and the rule is more than a century old. In the 1890 case of Johnson's Administratrix v. Richmond and Danville Railroad Co., the Virginia Supreme Court held that an agreement releasing a party from liability for its own future negligence is void because it violates public policy. The Court reaffirmed that principle in the 1992 case of Hiett v. Lake Barcroft Community Association, where a man was left quadriplegic during a triathlon after signing a release, and the Court ruled that his pre-injury waiver was prohibited by public policy and therefore void.
The reasoning is straightforward. A business cannot contract its way out of its duty to keep people safe before anyone is even hurt. Trampoline parks, like any other business, have a duty to provide reasonably safe facilities and equipment. If they fail in that duty and someone is injured as a result, they can be found negligent and held liable for the damages, regardless of the signed waiver.
Why Parks Still Make You Sign
If these waivers are generally unenforceable, why do parks keep requiring them? A few reasons. They still discourage lawsuits, because most customers have no idea Virginia law voids them and simply assume they have no case. They also give insurance companies an argument, namely that the injured person knew about the risks before choosing to participate.
That points to the limits of the rule. Situations exist where a waiver, or the conduct surrounding it, can still hurt a claim. If a participant's own actions caused their injury, or if one participant injured another, the park may not be liable in the first place. And even when the waiver itself is void, the park's insurer may argue assumption of risk: that by signing a form spelling out the dangers and choosing to jump anyway, you accepted those risks. A signed waiver describing the activity's hazards can become evidence in that argument.
The most important limit is this: even when a waiver is thrown out, you still have to prove your case. Voiding the waiver clears the obstacle, but you must still show that the park's owners or management were negligent and that their negligence caused your injury. That is where careful investigation and experienced representation matter.
How We Can Help
Proving negligence at a trampoline park means examining how the facility was maintained and staffed, whether its equipment met safety standards, whether employees enforced the rules, and how the injury actually occurred. We handle that investigation, preserve the evidence before it disappears, and negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf so you are not facing them alone.
With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys have recovered substantial results for injured clients across a wide range of premises and personal injury cases. Results depend on the specific facts of each case, but our record reflects the effort we bring to proving liability and the full extent of a client's harm.
Hurt at a Trampoline Park? Contact Us Today
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury because of negligence at a trampoline park, do not assume the waiver you signed ends the matter. A Norfolk personal injury lawyer at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp can review the facts, explain your rights, and pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact us at 833-997-1774 for a free consultation with one of our dedicated Norfolk personal injury lawyers. We have offices in Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Norfolk, and Chesapeake, and we are ready to put our experience to work for you and your family.
