Over the past decade, trampoline parks have skyrocketed in popularity as consumers demanded new destinations for family outings, parties, and corporate events. Often marketed as a safe way to have fun while getting exercise and building confidence, park locations in the U.S. grew exponentially from around three facilities in 2009 to over 800 as of 2019. But the wholesome image of trampoline parks belies a troubling truth. Since 2013, tens of thousands of people have visited emergency rooms annually due to trampoline park accidents. Injuries range from bruising and fractures to severe and even fatal head trauma. And as innocent people are left with the devastating effects that a trampoline park accident can bring, the typically understaffed and unregulated facilities often try to avoid legal consequences for their negligence.
An Edison, New Jersey man named Emil Vogt understands this reality all too well. He filed a lawsuit against Rebounderz, a popular trampoline park franchise that has since been rebranded as Revolution Action Park, after breaking his legs there in 2014. According to his attorney, Vogt was attempting to launch from a trampoline into an adjacent foam pit when his feet became lodged between two trampoline springs. The force snapped his legs in half, causing severe fractures that required multiple surgeries and extensive bedrest to repair. Vogt’s attorney argued that Rebounderz and its owners, Yeglinski Enterprises, not only caused his injury by leaving trampoline springs exposed but were also aware that uncovered springs were an ongoing issue at the facility.
While the park and its owner attempted to minimize Vogt’s injuries by hiring a medical expert who claimed he had fully healed, Vogt and his attorney maintained that his leg fractures were so catastrophic he would likely be unable to continue his career as a tractor trailer driver. The claim was not resolved until this summer, when Vogt received a $1.25 million settlement from the Rebounderz Franchise and Yeglinski Enterprises.