Jury Returns $680,656 Verdict for Child Injured at Trampoline Park - Viñas & DeLuca, PLLC

Trampoline park tragedy - An 11-year-old boy suffered an injury at a now-defunct trampoline park based in Tampa, Florida. A jury has concluded that Summit Adventure Park Spring Hill was negligent and responsible for the causing injury. The verdict awarded $680,656.00 in damages.

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A jury in Tampa, FL returned a verdict of $680,656.00 on May 11, 2023, finding that the negligence of Summit Adventure Park Spring Hill, a now defunct Tampa-based trampoline park, caused injury to an 11-year-old boy. The minor was injured while playing on one of the park's trampoline attractions called the "Wipeout Arm." Following the trial, the Court reduced the jury's verdict to account for the way certain medical bills were paid and awarded the Plaintiff litigation expenses incurred in prosecuting the case. The total recovery obtained by the Plaintiff was $687,972.91.

Lawyers for the minor alleged that he suffered a comminuted spiral fracture of his femur requiring surgery when he was struck by the Wipeout Arm's rotating beam. According to his attorneys, the beam struck the child at a high rate of speed causing him to fall awkwardly and fracture his femur. The injured Plaintiff underwent the surgical placement of an intermedullary rod with screws to stabilize his fracture and later underwent a second surgery to remove the hardware. At trial, lawyers for the minor child argued that the Wipeout Arm attraction was negligently operated, spinning too fast, and not properly supervised. They also argued that the Defendant was negligent for staffing the 20,000+ square foot recreational area with only three employees.

After surgery, the Plaintiff's treating orthopedic surgeon cleared him for all activities without any restrictions. The Plaintiff's past medical expenses totaled $120,656.

According to witnesses and surveillance video presented at trial, the attraction was turned on, left unattended, and accelerated to an unsafe speed as the minor entered the attraction. To prove fault, the Plaintiff's attorneys compared the surveillance video with multiple instructional videos generated by Summit Adventure Park Spring Hill showing the proper speed, supervision, and operation of The Wipeout Arm.

Prior to trial, the Court ruled that the waiver signed on behalf of the minor did not comply with Florida law and would not be considered by the jury. The defense contended at trial that the minor's injury was a risk of playing at a trampoline park and denied that the facility was responsible in any way for the minor's injury.

Attorneys for the minor included Francisco J. Viñas and Jarrett L. DeLuca, personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Viñas & DeLuca, PLLC., and Frank Fernandez of Fernandez Law Group. For more information, visit www.vdlegal.com.

Case No.: 21-CA-007102

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, GENERAL CIVIL DIVISION

Media Contact

Jarrett DeLuca, Viñas & DeLuca, 1 (305) 372-3650, [email protected], https://www.vdlegal.com/

SOURCE Viñas & DeLuca