Trampolines and Your Homeowners Insurance - Helpful information from Blake, Hall & Sprague Soule Allen Insurance Agency

The Issue

As trampoline use has risen, so has the number of trampoline injuries. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that 83,000 people were injured on trampolines in 1996, a 140% increase from 1990. Most of the people injured from trampoline use are children aged 5 through 14.

Common injuries include:

Broken bones
Concussions and other head injuries
Neck and spinal injuries
Sprains and strains
Bruises, scrapes and cuts.

Insurance and Medical Industry Response

Not surprisingly, homeowners insurance companies picked up on this trend early, as they began to pay liability claims brought by parents of children injured while playing on trampolines in their friends' yards. Some of the injuries involved were catastrophic.

Pediatricians have taken note of the increase in trampoline injuries as well. This led the American Academy of Pediatrics to call for a ban on trampoline use at home, in gym classes, and on the playground. Professional gymnastic programs have responded to the issue as well, recommending that trampolines only be used in the presence of specially trained instructors under controlled conditions.

Many homeowners insurers are responding to this industry trend. Some companies have refused to write new policies for homeowners who own trampolines. We have heard of a case in Maine where a homeowners insurer has threatened to cancel a policy if the insured did not remove the trampoline.

Are There Options?

As an independent insurance agency, we have access to many insurance products. If your insurance were refused because you owned a trampoline, we may be able to arrange coverage for you, but it might specifically exclude liability coverage for the trampoline, or might cost several times more than a "standard" homeowners policy would.

The Bottom Line

The last thing you want is for your children or their friends to be hurt. The financial cost of medical expenses and possible lawsuits is nothing compared to the emotional cost of an accident at your own home. Even under close parental supervision, trampoline injuries can occur. Only you can weigh the benefits of owning a trampoline against the costs.

For More Information

Visit these websites:

American Academy of Pediatrics

Maine Insurance Department

Ohio State University 1998 Study on Trampoline Safety

US Consumer Products Safety Commission