Bouncy Houses Are So Fun and So Dangerous

Although news of a bouncy house that blew away with kids inside went viral in June, the far more common hazards are broken bones, sprains, and hard head bumps. Almost 11,000 children, most between ages 6 and 12, were treated in emergency rooms for bouncy house injuries in 2010, up fivefold over the period from 1990 to 2005, according to the latest data available.

Cory Baird, a partner at Baird Law Group in Tampa, Fla., says he hasn’t been to a children’s bouncy house party yet and not seen at least one bloody nose, and where there are injuries, there are insurance claims. Baird represented a 22-year-old woman who broke her leg in six places when she slipped on a wet bouncy house trying to retrieve her toddler. The woman received a “large settlement” from the insurers of the homeowner and the rental company.