“His feet hit the mat, and almost instantly his knees buckled down, and he just let out the worst scream that you could ever have heard from a child.”
Those are the words of Kati Hill, the mother of three-year-old Colton, described to ABC News after her son suffered a broken femur at a trampoline park. Her warning, shared over 240,000 times on social media, reflects a terror that too many families in Selma and across the I-35 corridor have experienced. Parents walk into these facilities in Selma and surrounding communities believing they are entering a safe, supervised environment for a birthday party or a Saturday afternoon of fun. They sign an electronic waiver on an iPad at a crowded kiosk, hand over their credit card, and let their children onto the courts.
What most families in Selma don’t realize—and what the parks never disclose—is that they are entering a regulatory vacuum.
We have spent more than 25 years fighting for families in catastrophic injury cases. Our founding partner, Ralph Manginello, has taken on Fortune 500 giants like BP, Walmart, and Amazon. Our team includes attorney Lupe Peña, a former insurance defense lawyer who used to represent the very same recreational businesses and insurers we now sue. He knows exactly how their waivers are written and which holes in those waivers a Texas court will use to strike them down. We aren’t just “personal injury lawyers” who handle anything that comes through the door; we have built a dedicated practice around the physics, forensics, and corporate accountability of the trampoline industry.
If your child was injured at a trampoline park near Selma or on a backyard trampoline in a Comal County neighborhood, you are likely feeling a mix of overwhelming guilt and mounting anger. You might think the waiver you signed at the kiosk ended your case before it began. You might believe the insurance adjuster when they say it was just a “freak accident.”
We are here to tell you that in Selma, and under Texas law, the waiver is not the wall the park wants you to believe it is. A trampoline injury is rarely an accident. It is almost always the predictable output of a business decision made by a multi-million-dollar corporation that chose profit margins over patron safety.
Whether your child is facing a Salter-Harris growth plate fracture, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or a life-altering spinal cord injury, our firm is built for this specific fight. We handle cases in Selma and nationwide on a contingency fee basis. We advance every cost—the biomechanical engineers, the pediatric orthopedic specialists, the ASTM compliance experts—so your family’s recovery fund stays intact.
Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911. Hablamos Español. Our evidence preservation protocol starts within 24 hours of your call, because in Selma, the clock on your child’s case isn’t just running—it’s accelerating.
The Reality of Trampoline Injuries in Selma and the I-35 Corridor
Every year, approximately 300,000 Americans visit the emergency room for trampoline-related injuries. In a fast-growing community like Selma, situated between the high-traffic hubs of San Antonio and New Braunfels, the local density of trampoline parks is among the highest in the state. Families in Selma frequently visit major chains like Urban Air Adventure Park in New Braunfels or San Antonio, Altitude Trampoline Park, and Sky Zone.
When a child is hurt at one of these facilities, they are often rushed to specialized facilities like University Hospital in San Antonio or Dell Children’s Medical Center. The surgeons there see the same patterns we see in our law firm: bones that haven’t fully ossified being subjected to forces they were never meant to handle.
The medical literature is terrifyingly clear. In January 2024, the journal Pediatrics published a landmark study by Teague et al. that tracked over 13,000 injuries. They found that foam pits carry an injury rate of 1.91 per 1,000 jumpers, and high-performance “advanced skills” zones carry a rate of 2.11 per 1,000. For a busy park serving Selma families on a holiday weekend, these aren’t “rare” events. They are statistical certainties.
The American Journal of Roentgenology noted in 2024 that up to 1.6% of all pediatric emergency department trauma visits in the United States are now trampoline-related. This is a public health crisis that the industry—headquartered right here in Texas with Urban Air in Grapevine and Altitude in Fort Worth—is well aware of.
Why the Industry Safety Standard is a “Floor” Selma Parks Routinely Fall Below
Most parents in Selma assume that a state or federal agency inspects these parks. They don’t. Texas has no statewide trampoline park safety act. The Texas Department of Insurance regulates “Class B” inflatable rides—like bungee trampolines or zip-coasters—but the main trampoline decks where most injuries occur are statutorily excluded.
The only “rules” these parks follow are the ones the industry wrote for itself: ASTM F2970. Because this is a voluntary consensus standard, many parks in the Selma area selectively enforce it. We have found that while a park might have the ASTM emblem on its door, its Friday night staffing levels often drop to 50% of the recommended monitor-to-jumper ratios to save on labor costs.
In every Selma case we take, we pair ASTM F2970 with the mandatory international standard, EN ISO 23659:2022. We show Texas juries that while these chains operate globally, they provide a lower standard of care to children in Selma than they are required by law to provide to children in Europe. That comparison is often the first step toward proving the gross negligence required to unlock punitive damages.
The Physics of a Catastrophe: How Children Get Hurt in Selma
We don’t rely on the park’s version of what happened. We hire biomechanical engineers to reconstruct the physics of the impact. In Selma trampoline park cases, most injuries trace back to one of three catastrophic mechanisms.
1. The Double-Bounce Multipier
This is the “daddy, watch me” injury. A 200-pound adult lands on a trampoline bed just as a 60-pound child is pushing off the same surface. The elastic energy stored in the bed is transferred to the child, multiplying their launch force by up to 4x. The child is no longer jumping; they are being launched like a projectile. This mechanism is responsible for the “trampoline fracture”—a proximal tibial metaphyseal buckle fracture—often seen in toddlers in Selma who were allowed into age-mixed zones.
2. Foam Pit Compaction and Submerged Entrapment
Foam pits in Selma parks look soft, but they are often bacterial reservoirs with hidden hazards. When the open-cell polyurethane cubes aren’t rotated or replaced according to schedule (a common cost-cutting move), they compact. A child diving into a “deep” pit may hit the hard concrete floor or a dense pad beneath it.
Even more dangerous is the risk of vertebral artery dissection or a “spinal cord stroke.” We cite the case of Elle Yona, whose TikTok went viral with 27 million views after a backflip into a foam pit led to C4 incomplete quadriplegia. It was initially misdiagnosed as a panic attack. Our firm knows that a “normal” CT scan in a Selma ER doesn’t rule out the pediatric-specific SCIWORA (Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality).
3. Harness and Fall-Protection Failures
As Selma parks pivot to becoming “Adventure Parks,” they are adding climbing walls, Sky Riders, and ropes courses. We look to the Matthew Lu case at Altitude Gastonia, where a 12-year-old fell over 20 feet because staff failed to secure his harness. The park publicly admitted “human error” and removed the attraction. In Sugar Land, the Lakhani family suffered a similar nightmare when their daughter fell 30 feet from a climbing wall.
If your child fell from a height at a park in Selma, we don’t just look at the monitor. We look at the manufacturer of the auto-belay system and the corporate training protocols that allowed a teenager to be responsible for a life-safety harness.
The “Waiver” Myth: Why Your Case is Still Alive in Texas
The question we hear most from Selma families is: “But I signed the waiver, so I can’t sue, right?”
Under Texas law, that is fundamentally wrong. Our associate attorney, Lupe Peña, spent years defending these waivers for insurance companies. He knows the “Waiver Wave” tactic—where an adjuster tries to close your file early by pointing at a piece of paper. Here is why we can defeat that waiver in a Selma courtroom:
- Parental Indemnity is Void: Since the landmark ruling in Munoz v. II Jaz, Texas courts have held that a parent cannot sign away a minor’s personal injury claim in advance. Your signature may bar your own claim for medical bills, but it does not bar your child’s claim for their own suffering, impairment, and future lost earnings.
- The Dresser Fair Notice Doctrine: Texas has the strictest “conspicuousness” rules in the country. If the waiver didn’t use the word “negligence” specifically and prominently—in bold, large, or contrasting type—it fails the Dresser v. Page Petroleum test. Most kiosk waivers in Selma parks are crowded onto small screens and fail this test.
- Gross Negligence Carve-Out: As established in Transportation Insurance Co. v. Moriel, a waiver in Texas cannot release a defendant from gross negligence. When we find that a park near Selma knew about a torn mat or an understaffed court and chose to stay open anyway, the waiver is legally irrelevant.
- Signer Authority: In multi-generational families in Selma, often a grandparent, aunt, or family friend signs the waiver at a birthday party. Under Texas Family Code § 153.073, only a legal guardian has the authority to bind a child. If the wrong person signed, the waiver is a legal nullity.
- The Delfingen Spanish Attack: If your family’s primary language is Spanish and the park only offered an English-only waiver at a busy kiosk, the agreement may be procedurally unconscionable under the Delfingen doctrine.
Who is Accountable for Your Child’s Injury?
We don’t just sue the local LLC. That’s a mistake we see other firms make. The operator of a park in Selma is often an undercapitalized shell with a $1 million insurance policy that won’t cover a lifetime of care. We perform “Corporate Archeology” on every case.
We go after the 5-layer stack:
- The Operator LLC: The entity running the facility in Selma.
- The Franchisee: The multi-unit owner who may own several parks across South Texas.
- The Franchisor: Corporate entities like Sky Zone Franchising LLC or UATP Management (Urban Air).
- The Corporate Parent: Sky Zone, Inc. (formerly CircusTrix, backed by Palladium Equity) or Unleashed Brands (backed by Seidler Equity).
- The Component Manufacturer: The companies that made the defective mat, the failed spring, or the faulty auto-belay. We look at brands like Jumpking, Skywalker, and UA Attractions LLC.
When we litigate, we access every insurance layer—primary GL, umbrellas, and franchisor “additional insured” coverage. We’ve seen settlements for catastrophic spinal injuries reach the $5M to $15M range nationally, and we treat your Selma case with that same level of financial gravity.
The Rhabdo Bridge: A Firm Edge No One Else Has
If your child spent 90 minutes jumping on a hot afternoon at a park near Selma and arrived at the hospital a day later with “cola-colored” urine and kidney failure, you are dealing with exertional rhabdomyolysis.
We are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston involving rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. We have already built the medical expert network, the discovery protocols, and the scientific infrastructure to prove these cases. The pathology of muscle breakdown at a university hazing event is identical to the muscle breakdown at an overheated, under-hydrated trampoline park. We are the only firm in Texas with this specific, active medical litigation bridge.
Why the First 48 Hours and 72 Hours are Critical for Selma Families
The most important advice we give Selma families is to act before the evidence vanishes. Trampoline parks are engineered for profit, and their evidence-retention policies reflect that.
- The Surveillance Clock: Most park DVRs in the San Antonio-Selma region overwrite footage every 7 to 30 days. If the park tells you the video “didn’t catch it” or is “unavailable,” we don’t take their word for it. We demand the hard drive and the access logs.
- The Incident Report “Revision”: Parks often fill out a report at the scene and then have a manager “finalize” it 48 hours later. Our forensic digital examiners look for the metadata to see what was deleted from the original account.
- Waiver Purges: Kiosk databases can purge session data on 72-hour cycles.
Within 24 hours of you hiring us, our certified mail spoliation letter is on the desk of the park’s general counsel. We freeze the evidence so it can’t be “glitched” or lost.
Why 251+ Families Have Rated Us 4.9 Stars
We treat our clients in Selma like family because we are a family-run firm. As our client Chad Harris said, “You are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.”
Donald Wilcox came to us after another company said they would not accept his case. He ended up with what he called a “handsome check.” We take the difficult cases—the ones involving complex waivers and deep-pocketed corporate parents—because we have the 25 years of experience required to win them.
Ralph Manginello’s federal court experience and our history with BP Texas City litigation mean we are never intimidated by the “army of lawyers” the park’s private equity owners might bring. We have already beaten those firms.
Call a Trampoline Injury Lawyer Serving Selma Today
Your child’s life changed in a single bounce. The park has a system for denying your claim; we have a system for winning it.
You pay nothing upfront. We take all the risk. We advance the costs of the Pediatric Life-Care Plan that will calculate your child’s needs for the next 70 years—not just the next 7 months. We fight for the “growth plate multiplier” and the hidden damages other firms miss.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911 or (888) 288-9911. We are available 24/7 to help families in Selma and across Texas. Hablamos Español. Si su hijo se lesionó, no espere a que el video desaparezca.
Frequently Asked Questions for Selma Parents
What should I do if my child broke their leg at Sky Zone in Selma?
Prioritize medical care at a Level 1 pediatric trauma center like University Hospital in San Antonio. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster who calls. Call us immediately at 1-888-ATTY-911 so we can send a spoliation letter to preserve the surveillance footage before it is overwritten in 7 to 30 days.
Can I sue Urban Air if I signed a waiver?
Yes. In Texas, a parent generally cannot waive a minor child’s right to sue for personal injuries. Furthermore, if the injury was caused by gross negligence—such as an unattached harness on a climbing wall or an understaffed court—the waiver is unenforceable under the Moriel doctrine.
How long do I have to sue a trampoline park in Texas?
The standard statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury. However, for minors, the clock is “tolled” until their 18th birthday, meaning they have until age 20 to file. While the legal deadline may be far off, the evidence deadline (surveillance video and witness memory) is only weeks away.
How much is a trampoline park injury settlement worth?
Value depends on the severity of the injury and the layers of insurance identified. National settlements for catastrophic spinal injuries have reached $15 million. For a pediatric fracture with growth plate damage, recoveries frequently anchor in the $500K to $2M range because they require a lifetime of orthopedic monitoring.
Is the foam pit really safe for my kid?
The industry is moving away from foam pits and replacing them with airbags because foam pits are linked to catastrophic neck injuries. If a park in the Selma area still uses a foam pit, they have made a financial decision to ignore a safer alternative, which is a powerful argument for negligence in court.
Should I let the insurance company pay my hospital bill?
Be very careful. Insurers often offer “Med-Pay” checks of $3,000 to $5,000. These often come with a release on the back of the check. By cashing it, you could be signing away a multi-million-dollar claim. Never sign anything or cash an insurer’s check without our review.
Lo que las familias de Selma necesitan saber sobre la Rabdomiólisis
Si su hijo tiene orina de color café oscuro, dolor muscular intenso o confusión después de saltar durante mucho tiempo en un parque, podría ser rabdomiólisis. Esta es una emergencia médica que puede causar insuficiencia renal. El Bufete Manginello actualmente litiga un caso de $10 millones sobre esta misma condición. Sabemos qué pruebas de laboratorio pedir y cómo responsabilizar al parque por no proporcionar hidratación o descansos obligatorios. Llame a Lupe Peña directamente al 1-888-ATTY-911 para hablar en español sobre sus derechos.
