“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.” That is Kaitlin “Kati” Hill describing the moment her three-year-old son, Colton, suffered a broken femur at a trampoline park. Her warning, shared hundreds of thousands of times by parents across the country, is the anthem of every family we represent. We have stood where you are standing now—in a hospital waiting room in Taylor County, watching a child in a body cast, wondering how a Saturday afternoon in Town of Merkel turned into a medical nightmare.
At the Manginello Law Firm, we’ve spent more than 25 years holding corporate defendants accountable. Our founder, Ralph Manginello, has litigated against Fortune 500 giants like BP, Walmart, and Amazon. We understand that what happened to your child wasn’t a “freak accident.” It was the predictable result of a business model that puts margin ahead of safety. Whether you were injured at a major chain like Urban Air in Abilene or on a backyard trampoline in a Town of Merkel neighborhood, you need a legal team that doesn’t just “handle” personal injury. You need a team that has memorized ASTM F2970, that knows the biomechanics of a double-bounce launch, and that understands how to pierce the corporate layers designed to protect the deep-pocketed parents of these parks.
We are launching our dedicated trampoline injury practice from our Texas base to serve families in Town of Merkel and nationwide. With over two decades of courtroom experience, Ralph Manginello and our associate attorney Lupe Peña—who used to defend these very companies from the insurance side—provide an advantage no other firm can claim. We know their playbook because we used to read it. Now, we use it to win for you.
The Reality of Trampoline Injuries in Town of Merkel
Trampolines are among the most dangerous recreational products in America. Nationally, they send over 300,000 people to the emergency room every year. In a community like Town of Merkel, these injuries often happen in two distinct environments: the commercial trampoline park and the residential backyard.
The commercial industry has exploded in the last decade. Parks like Urban Air, Sky Zone, and Formula Fun (formerly Maxx Air) in nearby Abilene serve thousands of Taylor County families every month. These facilities take a product that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has warned against since 1999 and scale it to an industrial level. When 50 children and adults are jumping in an interconnected room, the physics of energy transfer change. A child in Town of Merkel isn’t just jumping; they are participating in a high-velocity environment where 200-pound adults can launch a 50-pound child with four times the force of a normal bounce.
In your own backyard in Town of Merkel, the risks are different but no less severe. The Texas sun is brutal on polypropylene netting and safety pads. A net purchased three years ago may look intact, but the UV degradation in West Texas means it can fail the moment a child leans against it. Whether it is a manufacturing defect from Jumpking or Skywalker, or a supervision failure at a commercial court, the result is the same: catastrophic injury.
We represent families facing the long-term consequences of these moments. We represent parents at the trauma-bay bedside of a Level 1 pediatric center, watching a surgeon explain that a Salter-Harris growth plate fracture at age nine means a decade of orthopedic monitoring. That is who we are. That is why we fight.
Why the “Waiver” or “Release” Does Not End Your Case
The first thing every trampoline park manager or insurance adjuster will tell you is: “You signed a waiver.” They want you to believe that piece of paper you clicked through on a kiosk in 30 seconds is a wall. It isn’t. In Texas, and specifically for families in Town of Merkel, that waiver is often full of holes.
Texas law, under the landmark decision in Dresser Industries v. Page Petroleum, requires that any release of future negligence must be “conspicuous” and meet the “express negligence” doctrine. If the waiver didn’t explicitly use the word “negligence” in a way that would attract the attention of a reasonable person, it may be void. More importantly, for our Town of Merkel clients, the case of Munoz v. II Jaz Inc. established that a parent in Texas cannot sign away a minor child’s personal cause of action. Your child didn’t sign that waiver. And the law says you can’t sign it for them in a way that prevents them from seeking justice for a park’s negligence.
Furthermore, no waiver in the United States protects a company from “gross negligence.” In Harris County, a jury awarded $11.485 million against Cosmic Jump because the park knew a trampoline slide was torn and did nothing. That is gross negligence—conscious indifference to a known risk. When an attendant at an Abilene park is on their phone while three teenagers double-bounce your toddler, that isn’t just an “inherent risk.” That is a breach of the standard of care.
Our associate attorney, Lupe Peña, spent years on the insurance defense side. He knows exactly which clauses in the Sky Zone or Urban Air waivers are unenforceable in Texas. He knows which arguments to make to get your case past a motion to dismiss and into discovery, where the real evidence lives.
What Happened: The Mechanisms of Trampoline Injury
To win a case in Taylor County, we must prove how the injury happened and why it was preventable. We don’t accept the park’s version of events. We look at the physics.
The Double-Bounce (Energy Transfer)
This is the signature injury of the trampoline park. When two people bounce on the same mat, or even adjacent mats in an interconnected system, the heavier jumper transfers kinetic energy to the lighter jumper. If a 200-pound adult lands just as a 60-pound child from Town of Merkel pushes off, the child’s launch force is multiplied. The child isn’t jumping anymore; they are a projectile. This often results in “trampoline fractures”—proximal tibial metaphysis buckle fractures—or comminuted femur fractures.
Foam Pit and Airbag Failures
Foam pits look safe, but they are often deep-tissue traps. If the foam cubes have compressed over time or are not refilled to ASTM F2970 specifications, a child can “bottom out” on the concrete floor beneath. This axial loading is the primary cause of cervical spine injuries and paralysis. We’ve seen cases like Ty Thomasson in Arizona, where a shallow pit led to a fatal neck injury. In 2026, many parks are moving to airbags, but these bring their own risks of over-pressurization or “rebound ejection” if not monitored correctly.
Harness and Attraction Failures
Urban Air and Altitude have pivoted to including “adventure” elements like Sky Riders, climbing walls, and ropes courses. We look at cases like the Lakhani family in Sugar Land, where a 14-year-old fell 30 feet because an attendant failed to properly attach a harness. In Gastonia, North Carolina, 12-year-old Matthew Lu died because of a similar failure. Altitude publicly admitted “human error” and removed the attraction. If your child fell from a height at a park near Town of Merkel, we investigate the training logs of the employee and the maintenance records of the equipment immediately.
Extended-Jumping Rhabdomyolysis
This is an under-recognized medical emergency. In the high-heat, high-exertion environment of a West Texas indoor park, a child who jumps for 90 to 120 minutes without adequate hydration can develop rhabdomyolysis. Muscle tissue breaks down and floods the bloodstream with myoglobin, leading to acute kidney failure. We currently litigate a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston involving this exact pathology. If your child has dark, “cola-colored” urine or extreme muscle pain 24 hours after a jump session, go to the emergency room immediately. Then call us.
The 5-Layer Defendant Stack: Who We Actually Sue
When we take on a case for a Town of Merkel family, we don’t just sue the local building. We perform “corporate archaeology” to find the money. National chains use complex LLC structures to hide assets, but we know how to peel them back.
- The Operator LLC: The local entity running the park in Abilene or Taylor County. Often undercapitalized.
- The Franchisee: The ownership group that may own several locations.
- The Franchisor: Sky Zone Franchising LLC, Urban Air Franchise Holdings, or Altitude Franchise Holdings. They set the “Standard Operating Procedures” that the local park failed to follow.
- The Corporate Parent: Sky Zone, Inc. (renamed from CircusTrix and backed by Palladium Equity Partners) or Unleashed Brands (backed by Seidler Equity Partners). These are the entities with hundred-million-dollar insurance towers.
- The Manufacturer: If a spring snapped or a net failed in your Town of Merkel backyard, we pursue Jumpking, Skywalker, or JumpSport. If the park’s equipment was defective, we name those vendors too.
Under the Texas “proportionate responsibility” rule (CPRC § 33.001), we name everyone. We don’t let the franchisor hide behind a “we just license the name” defense. Case law like Collins v. Urban Air proves that the franchisor can be held 40% liable for systemic safety failures.
The Evidence Clock: Why the 7-Day Window Is Critical
In Town of Merkel, the law gives you two years to file a personal injury claim. But the evidence won’t wait two years.
- Surveillance Video: Most park DVR systems overwrite footage every 7 to 30 days. If we don’t send a formal spoliation letter within the first week, the video of your child’s accident is gone forever.
- Waiver Metadata: Kiosk databases often purge version history on a rolling 72-hour cycle. We use forensic digital tools to capture exactly what screen you saw and what version you “signed.”
- Incident Reports: Parks often “revise” or “finalize” incident reports days after the accident. We demand the original, un-redacted handwritten notes from the attendant who was actually on the court.
- The Equipment: If a mat tore, the park will replace it within 24 hours to stay open. We send investigators to the park immediately to photograph the scene and identify witnesses before they quit or transfer.
Ralph Manginello’s 25+ years of experience has taught us one thing: the defense starts building their case before the ambulance leaves the parking lot. You need a team that moves faster than they do.
The Hidden Costs of Pediatric Trampoline Injuries
A “broken ankle” at age seven in Town of Merkel is never just a broken ankle. We work with life-care planners and pediatric orthopedic surgeons to calculate the true cost.
Growth Plate Damage (Salter-Harris Fractures)
Children’s bones grow from the physis (growth plate). If a trampoline impact crushes this cartilage, the bone may stop growing or grow at an angle. This “silent” injury might not show its full impact until five years later, requiring corrective osteotomy or lifelong gait alignment issues.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in a Developing Brain
A concussion in a child is a developmental threat. We investigate everything from “Second Impact Syndrome” to cognitive fatigue that affects school performance months after the visit to a park like Urban Air. We utilize pediatric neurologists to document the diffuse axonal injury that standard CT scans often miss.
Future Medical and Educational Accommodations
For catastrophic cases, we build a Life-Care Plan. We look at 60 to 70 years of costs: future surgeries, physical therapy, specialized educational aides, home modifications, and lost earning capacity. In a high-income state like Texas, we utilize forensic economists to ensure your child’s future is fully funded.
Why Town of Merkel Families Choose the Manginello Law Firm
Most firms in Taylor County are “generalists.” They handle car wrecks, divorces, and the occasional slip-and-fall. We are different. We built our firm around catastrophic injury and corporate accountability.
- Federal Court Experience: Ralph Manginello is admitted to the Southern District of Texas. Complex product liability or multi-state franchise cases often end up in federal court. We belong there.
- The Defense Edge: Lupe Peña knows the “Friendly Adjuster” script. When the insurance company calls you 48 hours after the injury to offer a “quick settlement” or “Med-Pay” for your ER co-pay, he knows it’s a trap. We tell them to call us instead.
- ASTM Mastery: We don’t just “read” safety standards. We memorize them. We compare the Abilene park’s daily inspection logs to ASTM F2970 to prove the attendant signed off on equipment they never actually checked.
- Zero Upfront Cost: We work on a 33.33% contingency fee (40% if we go to trial). We advance every cost—the $10,000 biomechanical engineer, the $5,000 pediatric consultant, the private investigator. If we don’t win, you don’t owe us a dime.
- Hablamos Español: Lupe Peña representa a nuestras familias hispanohablantes directamente. En mercados como Abilene y Town of Merkel, el idioma no debe ser una barrera para la justicia.
Frequently Asked Questions for Taylor County Parents
Can I sue if I signed the waiver at Urban Air or Sky Zone?
Yes. In Texas, parent-signed waivers are frequently unenforceable for a child’s own injuries. Furthermore, no waiver protects against “gross negligence”—like understaffing a court or failing to fix broken equipment the park knew about. We attack the waiver on five different legal fronts.
The park manager said it was my child’s fault for jumping wrong. Is that true?
The park has a non-delegable duty to maintain a safe environment and supervise jumpers. Under ASTM F2970, that means enforcing “one jumper per bed” and “no flips.” If they allowed your child to jump in an unsafe manner without intervention, THEY are the negligent party. Texas follows a “modified 51% bar”—as long as the park is more than 50% at fault, you recover.
How much is my child’s trampoline injury case worth?
Every case is different, but documented results for these injuries range from $500,000 for severe fractures with growth plate disturbance to $15.6 million for paralysis (as seen in the Damion Collins arbitration). We look at the insurance tower, the evidence of gross negligence, and the lifetime medical needs.
My child was injured on a neighbor’s trampoline in Town of Merkel. Who pays?
This is usually a homeowners’ insurance claim. Texas recognizes the “attractive nuisance” doctrine, meaning homeowners have a duty to secure trampolines from children who might wander over. Even if their policy has a “trampoline exclusion,” we look for umbrella coverage or product liability claims against the manufacturer (like Jumpking or Skywalker).
Why shouldn’t I take the medical-payment offer from the park’s insurance?
They call this “Med-Pay.” It sounds like a gesture of goodwill, but it’s usually $3,000 to $5,000 in exchange for a full release of all future claims. Never sign anything or deposit a check from an insurer before we have reviewed it. That $3,000 check could be the reason you can’t recover the $300,000 your child needs for future surgery.
Your Next Steps: Preservation and Accountability
If your child was injured today at a trampoline park near Town of Merkel, the clock is ticking.
- Go to the ER: Request a full scan and a CK blood test to rule out rhabdo.
- Preserve the Scene: Take photos of the court, the padding, and any torn mat.
- Identify Witnesses: Get the names of other parents who were watching.
- Do Not Post to Social Media: The defense will use any “smiling child” photo to minimize the injury.
- Call 1-888-ATTY-911: We provide a free 24/7 consultation.
What happened to your family wasn’t an accident—it was the output of a system that prioritized ticket sales over child safety. They have risk-management teams and corporate lawyers working for them. You need the Manginello Law Firm working for you.
We are based in Texas, but our authority is national. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with the biggest companies in the world, and we’ve won. We are ready to do it again for your child in Town of Merkel.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today. No fee unless we win. Hablamos Español.
A Note on Local Parks Serving Town of Merkel
Families in Town of Merkel often frequent the following facilities in the Abilene area:
- Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park (Abilene): Located on Southwest Drive. A massive multi-attraction site with Sky Rider and go-karts.
- Formula Fun (formerly Maxx Air): Located on S Judge Ely Blvd. Features a custom Ninja course and go-karts.
- Ultimate Air Trampoline Park: With locations serving the Big Country region.
If your injury occurred at one of these sites, we have already begun the process of auditing their historical incident reports and waiver versions. We know their insurers, we know their managers, and we know how to secure the evidence before it reaches their corporate offices in Grapevine or Dallas.
Whether you’re in the middle of a Taylor County harvest or driving the kids to Merkel High School for practice, a trampoline injury shouldn’t be your burden to carry alone. Let us take the legal fight off your plate so you can focus on your child’s recovery.
Call 888-ATTY-911 or (888) 288-9911 for your free consultation.
Understanding the Medicine: Why “Wait and See” Is Not an Option
We often see parents in Town of Merkel who want to “see how it heals” before calling a lawyer. In trampoline cases, this is a dangerous gamble.
- Compartment Syndrome: If your child’s leg is swelling significantly after a fracture, they could have compartment syndrome. This is a surgical emergency where pressure cuts off blood flow to the muscle. If not treated within hours, it leads to permanent muscle loss or amputation.
- SCIWORA: “Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality” is a pediatric phenomenon. A child’s neck can be flexible enough to injure the cord even while the bones look “fine” on an X-ray. If your child has tingling or weakness, they need an urgent MRI, not just a physical exam.
Our active $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston for rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure has given us a network of medical experts who understand these complex pathologies. We bring that same medical-legal bridge to every Town of Merkel trampoline case. We don’t just rely on your ER report; we look at the lab trajectories that tell the real story of the damage.
The Town of Merkel Backyard Hazard
For those with a trampoline in a Town of Merkel backyard, the heat is your primary enemy. The polypropylene mats are rated for a certain number of UV-exposure hours. Once exceeded, the mat doesn’t just “tear”—it disintegrates under load. We investigate whether the manufacturer (Jumpking, Bouncepro, etc.) provided adequate warnings about replacing components after Texas summer exposure. If they didn’t, and the mat failed, that is a strict product liability claim.
We also look at “Attractive Nuisance.” If a neighbor’s child in Town of Merkel wanders into your yard and is hurt because the ladder was left on the trampoline or the gate wasn’t locked, you may be liable under Texas law. We help families navigate these sensitive situations, often resolving them through homeowner’s insurance umbrellas without the need for a trial.
The Global Standard: Why the US Is Falling Behind
While U.S. parks like Sky Zone and Urban Air follow voluntary ASTM F2970-22 standards, many countries have moved to stricter mandates. EN ISO 23659:2022 is the mandatory European standard for trampoline parks. It requires deeper pits, more attendants, and stricter maintenance logs than anything you’ll find in the Texas Occupations Code. When we depose a park manager, we ask them: “Why do your sister locations in Europe follow a higher safety standard than you provide to children in Town of Merkel?” That question often opens the door to multi-million-dollar settlements.
Final CTA for Town of Merkel Families
You have stood through the surgery. You have filled the prescriptions. You have watched your child cry in a hospital bed. Now, it is time for accountability.
The Manginello Law Firm — Attorney911
1177 West Loop S, Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77027
1-888-ATTY-911
ralph@atty911.com | lupe@atty911.com
Call us for a free, no-obligation strategy session. We travel to Town of Merkel for our clients. We associate with the best local Taylor County experts. We do not settle for less than your child is going to need for the rest of their life.
1-888-ATTY-911. Hablamos Español. Your family is our family.
