Trampoline in Backyard? I Have a Few Questions for You.

Nope. Would NOT have a trampoline. NOT in my backyard. My homeowners insurance will NOT cover injuries etc. And I will not be held responsible for injuries. NO FREAKING WAY.

Have either one of you called your insurance company to find out if they cover trampolines or damages from trampolines?

You can call your local police department and ask about people who trespass and injury themselves...is it like a pool? Where it's your property and your responsibility?

My husband had a trampoline as a kid (it's still in his parent's back yard for all the grandkids). It's round and has the metal springs that actually allow you to bounce. He has a TON of stories as a kid of that trampoline, and none of them involve serious injury or death. He DOES have a funny story about racoons though.

Also, my childhood best friend had a rectangular one when we were kids. Her parents sank it into the ground so all you had to do was walk onto it. We had TONS of fun on that thing, and no injuries.

Trampolines CAN be dangerous, if used in the wrong way. Shoot, ANYTHING can be dangerous if used in the wrong way.

I will NEVER put a trampoline in our yard. No way in hell. Very, very bad idea.
Signed,
sister of a trauma surgeon, wife of an attorney

We've had one a couple of years. No injuries, other than minor ones (kids bumping into each other). It's a pretty tame toy compared to things we did as kids. Climbing trees, anyone? Bike riding with no helmets? Car trips with no boosters or car seats? I think we're so hypersensitive about our kids today. You can't bubble wrap them.

No kids come over without permission, although we're in California and have fences. I am pretty sure you're legally liable if someone uses it (with or without permission) and they get hurt. That's why a lot of homeowners insurance companies using Google Maps to see if you have one and then refuse to renew the policy unless it gets removed (we've been lucky so far). Ours has developed small holes in the trampoline fabric, but we just use duct tape to cover them up.

I grew up with one with no safety net " OMG" and never had an injury.

We had one for about 5 yrs for our daughter with a safety net and never any issues.

Just make sure your rules are followed. Most every home in my upscale neighborhood has one. Children don't come over unannounced because it's not what we do.

I know of ZERO injuries of the 14 trampolines I know of close by. That said, yes there can be injuries and some severe.

You have to figure out what's best for your family.

We sold our trampoline a few yrs ago as a Santa gift because our daughter no longer used if because she was in high school.

We had a trampoline for many years.... we bought it used, also..... we never had a problem with neighbor kids using it when we weren't there, as far as I know.

However, we lived in a good neighborhood where kids didn't do that kind of thing.

As far as liability, most likely you ARE liable if someone sneaks in... it is called an "Attractive Nuisance"...

The trampoline bed will degrade over time, as will the straps that hold the rings that attach to the springs.... we had our bed repaired one time, and then replaced a few years later... this time, we just tossed the whole thing when it got unsafe.

We never had any injuries...but one of the rules was one person on the trampoline at a time, and they didn't try any fancy tricks.

I also agree that more insurance companies are not allowing them on your property.... I don't know if the inspector of our new insurance didn't see it or what, but the agent said that they have been an issue in the past.

Questions 1-3: Yes
Question 4: I guess you've never seen wind storm videos where the trampoline gets lifted and sent into the air. If you're not in great financial shape, could you handle medical bills or a lawsuit? Can you afford to lose your homeowner's insurance?
My kids are only allowed to be on the trampoline in their gymnastics class. And because they know what they're doing, they know better than to get on someone's personal one where it is very likely poorly anchored to the ground and poorly maintained. Small tears do not repair well with duct tape - they will rip if landed on the wrong way, taped or not.
Sorry, but I wouldn't do it.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/report-warns-trampo...

To the insurance question, item number 1: http://homes.yahoo.com/news/ten-things-home-insurance-doe...

Children die from using trampolines, even with their mom standing right there watching. They can just hit wrong and break their neck.

Please google how dangerous trampolines are. They are not toys, they ARE supposed to be used with direct supervision. We were given one and I decided perhaps I was being too cautious. We took it apart and it's sitting in our yard right now.

One of my friends got one and the day they put it up their daughter was bouncing and the mat hit the bottom of her foot and broke her front leg bone right at the growth plate. She wasn't doing anything wrong.

The American Pediatric Association wants trampolines to not be sold to general public. They want them outlawed.

Over 100,000 kids are hurt every year on trampolines where they have to seek medical care.

The surrounds are worse than the trampoline, they get caught up in them and break arms or legs and pull out their teeth.

Kids can bounce wrong and break their neck and die. Just read some of the stories from parents who had trampolines and didn't realize what a hazard they are.

Also, if you do decide to get this anyway, check with your home owners insurance because they might cancel his coverage if he puts a trampoline on his property. They feel that strongly about them.

Also, if any other child, even one sneaking on when he's not home, gets hurt on his trampoline he'll be liable and have to pay their medical bills and the kids parents can sue him for a lot of money.

So all in all, didn't want one, Santa brought one, kids loved it, I didn't, we took it down, kids don't miss it at all.

FYI, We also had the net that went all the way around it.
Never had problems with neighbors sneaking in. Like I said, we made it very clear what the rules were. Kids accepted it, they know I do not mess around.

When we had ours, we called our insurance agent and were told we would need a self latching gate or fence. My husband installed one on our gate. They actually came by and checked out the whole set up..

We also were VERY strict about the rules.

Only 1 child at a time at all times. The only time we had more on there, was the night the girls camped out on it. It was pretty funny, because they had a hard time sleeping on it, because if one girl shifted they all ended up moving.. They looked like heck the next morning!

They never wanted to do that again.

Our daughter is an only child, so she is the one that spent the most time on it. I think it helps when friends came over, she was very generous with letting them have turns on it for long periods of time.

She only had 1 friend that was not allowed on the Trampoline. Her father was an Insurance agent. Not a problem..

Check with your insurance. Our old insurance would not allow them on the property. Now with our new insurance they are allowed for us, but they are not allowed on the rental property we own.

We have friends with trampolines. I have never heard of anyone having issues with it being used without permission.

There are parts that need to get replaced, but I get the impression, the parts last several years. We live in Texas with constant sun. But there is the issue of wind...they can go flying.

I have seen over time several injuries. My SIL has one. We let the kids play on it. Two kids at a time, constant adult supervision and a net. My son injured his back. Fortunately, it was simply a pulled muscle, but he was quite uncomfortable for two days. I have known of kids breaking bones on them as well (even with the safety net). So there is definitely a risk. You just have to decide if you are willing to take that risk. (We have a pool....DEFINITELY a risk there!!)

No injuries here.
Nope. No one has used it without our permission.
Yes, you are liable for anyone using the trampoline.
I have no idea.

My homeowners insurance covers trampoline related injuries. We called to set that up before purchasing.

Kids can get hurt on anything. Your daughter knows how to do it right. However, some kids get hurt on them. We bought one for our grandson when school was out last May. He is very careful on it, but he invited a couple of neighbor boys over & they were not. I had to ask them to go home. Like your daughter, he was taught HOW to jump right & how to tuck his head by qualified teachers. I ask his Dr. about them & he said he would not reccomend one unless a child knows what they are doing. He also told me that a child with ADHD (like my grandson) gets good use out of it.

I would not recommend getting one. Although not everyone who jumps on them gets hurt, there are plenty of reported broken bones and head/neck injuries from jumping on them.

My daughter twisted her ankle horribly on one at a birthday party and has since sprained it 2 other times because it's weak. We've been in physical therapy and on crutches off and on for months.

I think there's an insurance issue you should check out as well.

Check with your home owners insurance. Ours will not cover any damages from wind (our neighbors lost two windows in a wind storm).

My son's best friend broke his arm.

We won't have one in our yard.

Our neighbors had one for their teens.
The novelty wore off within 2 months - and really it gets used mostly in the summer.
It got used every once in awhile for a few years.
Then it sat there for another few years - the dog liked going under it for shade during the summer.
Just now I noticed they finally got rid of it.
I'd not bother getting one new or used.

I had one growing up and now my son and I can use it together. Yes they can be dangerous, but if used correctly they are fairly safe. Yes I know people who have broken their arm on one and they were in a gym at a class. I also know people who broke their foot when they tripped walking. Accidents can happen, safety precautions help. Only kids that were invited over were allowed on it, we had a fenced yard so not that easy to sneak in if we were home and our neigbhors did not report it when we were not and they would have let us know. Ours is a rectangle one, no net, but rectangle helps you spot better if you are flipping. If your daughter has taken classes she is probably comfortable on one. We had rules about number of people on the trampoline, etc. So I would agree they can be dangerous, but they are also a lot of fun, great exercise and if used correctly can be wonderful. Mine is 20 years old and has no major damage- the pads are worn and some springs need to be replaced, but nothing major. That is partly going to depend on the quality of the trampoline. Some of the round ones can bend a little.

We have a 14' round one for 3 years and our kids are teens and love it. Rule is only 1 kid at a time. We have replaced the cover over the springs for $100 from Amazon. We have not yet had to replace the springs (72 of them!) or the pad that they jump on. We do take it apart at the end of fall and store it in the basement. It is made of wide metal tubes that fit into each other, so very easy to set up and take down. We do not use the netting but we have 2 very gentle girls, and it is right outside our kitchen window so we keep an eye on them when they are out there with friends. I think as long as your check that the materials are still strong and it is used in the manner it was intended (no jumping from nearby roofs or doing summersaults) they are fine.

Yes. (Relative) child will never walk the same. Horrible break. Do NOT buy it. I am sure others are fine but due to our experience, no way.

We have had a trampoline for 4 years now and our kids love it. We have a rule of 3 kids at a time. They have to take turns jumping while the other 2 watch on the side. If a little one gets on, the big kids sit on their knees. It has been one of the best investments for our kids...they are out on it daily. Yes, it attracts neighbor kids, which our kids LOVE bc they love having friends come over to play. Everyone knows the rules.

Your home insurance will be cancelled if they find out you have one. They are very very dangerous.

One of SD's friends sprained her ankle on our trampoline. They were in HS at the time. The friend's parents said no more trampoline and we said, OK, girls do something else. We have a swingset and one year another friend of SD's did one of those flying dismounts and dislocated her elbow. The hospital said it was the #1 cause of those injuries. I notice that the elementary schools no longer have swings...

Kids don't come over to use it. We have a fenced yard. DD and her friends are not allowed to be on it without supervision and they are not allowed any high jumping. We've had it for...about 5 or 6 years now.

The elements will take their toll more than critters. You would not want a trampoline that was rusty or did not have the protective covering for the springs, or had a missing or broken net, IMO. Not worth it.

1) My chiropractor said, "don't do it!"
2) Yes....
3) and they got hurt and the homeowner was liable

Our insurance guy said don't even tell him if we ever got one. We didn't.

can you afford the hike in homeowner's insurance premiums?
khairete
S.

Buying a used one would scare me since you don't know how well it was kept up. I don't know if damage or wear and tear would be visible or not or the age of it. One of my sons best friends and on his baseball team got a concussion on one. Another friend hyper extended his knee on one. Both were out of sports for a good amount of time. I've personally heard too many horror stories about them to allow my son on one. I don't know unfortunately about the liability wise but I know my Home Owners Insurance co asks if I have one when I do any changes to my policy so I'm guessing there is some liability there. One of my friends kids has one and she has to have the parent sign a waiver for their kids to be allowed on the trampoline. She said it was for insurance purposes. I didn't ask any further questions so unfortunately I'm not much help on much of your questions. Also, at gymnastics they are under close supervision to do things correctly and only that way. Doing things there and at home is totally different.

We have one. The kids haven't used it in a year because the net broke in Hurricane Sandy last October and we never got around to replacing it. We will get a new one in the spring (whole new one). They are safe if the rules are followed and parents are watching. My kids were NEVER on it when we were not right there watching and staying on top of them, and they always followed the rules.

Everything can be dangerous. Honestly. My 10 year old has a broken foot now from dancing. Somehow, we can't even pinpoint when exactly it happened...but it did. Not so safe in my eyes now, but she won't stop.

Get it if you and your ex will be responsible for her behavior on it.

Please do not judge it on other people's experience . We have a trampoline with net and so do many of my friends. (we got ours 1 1/2 ago, my friends had it for years) . My SIL says her pediatrician says they are most dangerous things out there so she would not let her kids on one.....guess how many times she has been to ER this past year for stitches and such with her kids? 4 .....us NONE. She does not have trampoline, we do. We are getting our kids a HUGE one this Christmas, SO EXCITED!!!!!!they are tons of fun....and no neighbor kids do not sneak on it( we do have parents sign permission for the friends to get on ours) and NO flips when friends are over, only when it's just us, parents are watching and we practice gymnastics :) The laughter is endless when kids play on it and in the summer we put a sprinkler underneath , even better !!!!!!