Michigan Amusement and Trampoline Park Injury Lawyer

A restraint that fails, a ride that was never properly inspected, a trampoline court that lets too many jumpers collide, a foam pit that is not deep enough, any of these can leave a child or an adult with a broken bone, a serious neck injury, or worse. When it happens, the business points first to the waiver everyone signs at the door, and parents often assume that ends it. It frequently does not, especially when the injured person is a child. But the evidence that proves these cases, the video and the inspection logs, can be gone in a couple of weeks, so what you do in the first days matters.

Our premises liability attorneys represent people hurt at amusement and trampoline parks in Livonia and across Michigan. These places fall under different rules: state-inspected rides on one side, recreation businesses and their waivers on the other. Knowing which rules apply and where a waiver actually applies is the difference between a claim that holds and one that does not.

Two Kinds of Places, Two Sets of Rules

It helps to separate the two. Amusement rides at parks, fairs, and carnivals, roller coasters, water slides, go-karts, and the like, are regulated and inspected by the state. Trampoline parks are not. Michigan’s amusement-ride rules specifically exclude trampolines and trampoline courts, so those facilities are governed instead by ordinary premises and negligence law, by industry safety standards, and by the waivers they ask everyone to sign. The path to recovery looks different for each, so identifying the kind of place you were hurt is the first step.

Amusement Rides Are State-Inspected

Michigan does not leave amusement rides to chance. Under the Carnival-Amusement Safety Act (MCL 408.651 and following), an owner cannot operate a ride without a state permit; every ride must be inspected before it opens to the public and at least once a year after, operators must be at least 16 and trained on the specific ride, and owners must carry liability insurance or a bond. When a ride injures someone, those requirements show us where to look: a missing or expired permit, a skipped inspection, an untrained teenager at the controls, or a maintenance log full of ignored problems is strong evidence of negligence. We obtain the inspection and maintenance records early because they tell the real story of how a ride was run.

Trampoline Parks Run on Standards, Not State Inspection

Because no state inspector signs off on a trampoline park, the safety baseline comes from the recognized industry standard, ASTM F2970, which governs how trampoline courts are designed, maintained, and operated, including the number of trained attendants who must monitor the floor. The injuries we see usually trace to violations of exactly those rules: too few monitors, or monitors on their phones instead of watching; no separation of small children from older, heavier jumpers; failure to enforce the one-jumper-per-trampoline rule that prevents double-bounce launches; shallow or poorly maintained foam pits; and worn springs, torn pads, and gaps between beds. Proving the park ignored the standard, rather than that jumping is simply risky, is the heart of the case.

The Waiver, and Why a Child’s Claim Is Different

A waiver is not the wall the park hopes it is. Michigan enforces a clear waiver against an adult’s ordinary negligence claim. Still, a waiver cannot release gross negligence, conduct showing a substantial lack of concern for whether someone gets hurt, or willful misconduct, and courts read these forms strictly against the business. When an injury resulted from the park’s failure to follow its own safety rules, a waiver may not bar the claim at all.

For children, the protection is much stronger. Under Woodman v. Kera, a Michigan Supreme Court case involving a child injured at an inflatable play business, a parent generally cannot sign away a child’s right to sue a for-profit park. And in Knaack v. Auburnfly (2024), the Court of Appeals went further, refusing to enforce the clause requiring a parent to promise to repay the park if their own child sues, because that clause would gut the child’s rights through the back door. One honest caveat: many waivers also contain an arbitration clause, and whether a parent’s signature can force a child’s case out of court and into private arbitration is a separate, unsettled question driven by federal arbitration law. We confront that issue head-on rather than assume it away.

How These Injuries Happen

Behind most of these cases lies a failure unrelated to the activity’s normal risk. Depending on the facts, the claim may be for negligent operation or supervision, a dangerous condition of the property, or a defective ride or trampoline component. That last route, a product liability claim against the manufacturer, is real but demanding in Michigan, where the product liability statutes give manufacturers strong defenses and cap certain damages, so it requires expert proof and early preservation of the equipment. We match the mechanism of the injury to the specific failure, because vague claims that “parks are dangerous” do not win; proof that a rule or a standard was broken does.

Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death

Trampoline and ride injuries are often far worse than a sprain. Failed flips, double-bounce launches, and under-filled foam pits cause cervical-spine fractures and, in the worst cases, paralysis; ride ejections and restraint failures can be fatal. When a family loses someone, Michigan’s Wrongful Death Act allows a claim, brought by the personal representative of the estate, for the family’s loss, including lost support and the companionship and guidance the person provided. These are the cases where finding every responsible party and every insurance policy matters most.

Who Can Be Held Responsible

More than one party may share the blame. Depending on the facts, that can include the park-or-ride owner and operator, a management company or franchisor, the manufacturer of a defective ride or trampoline, a maintenance contractor, or an inspection company that signed off on equipment it should have flagged. We trace every responsible party and every applicable policy, because a serious injury often outstrips the first source of coverage.

Fault, Deadlines, and Evidence

The park will try to blame the injured person. Michigan’s comparative-fault rule reduces a recovery by the injured person’s share of the blame from the first dollar and bars compensation for pain and suffering only if that share exceeds everyone else’s combined share, with medical bills and lost income still recoverable in reduced form. Deadlines deserve special care here. A child’s own claim is generally extended, usually until a year after they turn 18, but a parent’s separate claim to recover the medical bills they paid is not extended and runs out in the usual three years. And the proof, security and court-camera video, the signed waiver’s electronic records, incident reports, and inspection and foam-replacement logs are often overwritten within a couple of weeks, so a preservation demand cannot wait.

How Vahdat Weisman Law Handles Your Case

We first move to preserve the video, the incident report, and the inspection and maintenance records; identify whether the place was a regulated ride or a recreation business; and measure any waiver and arbitration clause against how the injury actually occurred and who was hurt. From our Livonia office, attorneys Jordan S. Vahdat and Kara E. Weisman handle amusement and trampoline park injury claims for clients across Metro Detroit and the rest of Michigan on a contingency-fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

• I signed a waiver. Can I still sue the trampoline park? Possibly. Michigan enforces waivers against an adult’s ordinary negligence, but not against gross negligence or willful misconduct, and courts read them strictly. If the park ignored its own safety rules, the waiver may not bar the claim.
• My child was hurt at a trampoline park. Does the waiver I signed stop their claim? Usually not. A parent generally cannot waive a child’s right to sue a for-profit park, and Michigan courts have refused to enforce the clauses that make parents repay the park if their child sues. A separate question is whether an arbitration clause applies, which we address directly.
• Was the amusement ride that hurt me inspected? It was supposed to be. Michigan requires a state permit, at least yearly inspections of amusement rides, and trained operators. A missing permit, skipped inspection, or untrained operator is strong evidence of negligence, and we obtain those records. Trampoline parks, by contrast, are not state-inspected, so we rely on the industry safety standard instead.
• What deadline applies to my child’s case? A child’s own claim is generally extended, but a parent’s claim for the child’s medical bills is not, and evidence disappears within weeks, so it is best to act soon.
• What does it cost to hire you? Nothing upfront. We handle these claims on a contingency-fee basis, so you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Why Injured Michiganders Trust Vahdat Weisman Law

Vahdat Weisman Law is a personal injury firm based in Livonia, Michigan, representing injury victims and their families throughout the state. Our attorneys, Jordan S. Vahdat and Kara E. Weisman, bring courtroom experience, a record of meaningful results, and a hands-on approach to investigation and case strategy. We prepare every matter as if it will go to trial, positioning clients for stronger settlements and protecting their rights if litigation becomes necessary.

We handle amusement and trampoline park injury claims on a contingency-fee basis, which means there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. From our Livonia office, we serve clients across Metro Detroit and the rest of Michigan, and we explain every step in plain language so you can make informed decisions about your case.

Speak With a Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or your child was hurt at an amusement or trampoline park, contact Vahdat Weisman Law in Livonia today at (734) 469-4994 for a free, confidential consultation. Because the video and records of your claim can disappear within weeks, the sooner we hear from you, the more we can protect. Reach out via our contact page to let us know what happened and learn about your options. There is no cost to speak with us about your potential claim.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique, and prior results do not guarantee future success.