“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 was Kaitlin “Kati” Hill describing the moment her three-year-old’s life changed at a trampoline park. Her warning, which has been shared more than a quarter of a million times, is a nightmare that families in Hallsburg, Texas, understand all too well.
When your child is hurt during a birthday party or a weekend outing at a park near Hallsburg, your life stops. You are likely reading this at 11 PM from a hospital room or while watching a child sleep through heavy pain medication. You are stressed about the medical bills, angry at the park, and perhaps feeling quiet guilt about letting them jump in the first place.
Look—we need to tell you something right now that the park manager won’t: this is not your fault. You signed the waiver because the line was long and the kiosk was fast. You let your child on the trampoline because the marketing told you it was safe family fun. But what happened next was the result of business decisions made by corporate conglomerates in Houston or Dallas, not your parenting.
We are The Manginello Law Firm, also known as Attorney911. Our founder, Ralph Manginello, has been fighting on behalf of catastrophic injury victims for over 25 years. Since 1998, we’ve taken on Fortune 500 giants like BP, Walmart, and Amazon. We aren’t a volume firm that settles for the first check the insurance company writes. We are a trial firm built for the fight that happens after a trampoline park breaks a child’s body.
In Hallsburg, when a catastrophic injury occurs, time is your greatest enemy. The park’s surveillance DVR systems are typically set to overwrite data every 7 to 30 days. The incident report you filled out can be “revised” on their computer system within hours. Our team includes a former insurance defense attorney, Lupe Peña, who used to defend these very companies. He knows exactly where they hide the evidence and which waiver clauses are full of holes.
Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911. We offer free consultations and a zero-fee guarantee—you pay nothing unless we win. Our spoliation letter, which demands the preservation of every frame of video and every maintenance log, goes out within 24 hours of your call.
The Reality of Trampoline Parks Serving Hallsburg
Hallsburg sits in a region saturated with trampoline and adventure parks. From the Urban Air in Waco to the massive Xtreme Jump flagship in Temple, families across McLennan County have dozens of options. On a Saturday afternoon in July, when the Texas heat makes outdoor play impossible, these parks fill to capacity.
But as attendance peaks, safety margins often collapse. We know that most trampoline-park attendants in Texas are sixteen-to-nineteen-year-old minimum-wage workers with as little as two hours of safety training. When a 200-pound adult lands on a trampoline bed at the same instant a 60-pound child from Hallsburg is pushing off, the physics turns the child into a projectile. This “double-bounce” energy transfer can multiply the child’s launch force by up to 4x, hitting their tibia with roughly 1,000 Newtons of peak force.
The industry knows this. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has been warning since 1999 that trampolines do not belong in recreational centers or homes. ASTM F2970—the very standard the trampoline park industry wrote for itself—demands strict age and weight separation to prevent these injuries. When a park ignores these ratios to save on labor costs, they aren’t just being “sloppy.” They are choosing profit over your child’s safety.
Why the Waiver Is Not a Wall in Texas
The most common thing we hear from Hallsburg parents is, “I signed the iPad waiver, so I probably don’t have a case.”
Think again. Under Texas law, that piece of paper is a speed bump, not a wall. Our firm successfully challenges these waivers using a three-front attack strategy:
- The Munoz Doctrine: Texas case law, specifically Munoz v. II Jaz, Inc., established that a parent cannot pre-emptively sign away a minor child’s personal injury claim. Even if you signed the waiver, your child’s right to seek justice remains intact.
- The Dresser Fair-Notice Rule: The Texas Supreme Court ruled in Dresser Industries v. Page Petroleum that for a waiver to be enforceable, it must be “conspicuous” and use the word “negligence” explicitly. If the release was buried in a tiny-font scroll box on a kiosk screen at a park near Hallsburg, it often fails this legal test.
- Gross Negligence: No waiver in the United States protects a company from gross negligence. When a park allows a torn trampoline mat to remain in service—knowing it could fail—the waiver is void. We anchor our Texas practice in the Cosmic Jump $11.485 million verdict from Harris County. In that case, a jury awarded millions in punitive damages because the park had actual knowledge of a defect and did nothing. That is the kind of case we are built to handle.
If your child was injured, don’t let a kiosk agreement silence your family. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 and let Lupe Peña review the document you signed. Hablamos Español.
Catastrophic Pediatric Injuries: Beyond the Emergency Room
A trampoline injury at age nine is not the same as an injury at age thirty. Children’s bones are still developing, which creates a uniquely dangerous medical landscape. In Hallsburg, your child likely received initial care at a facility like McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple—one of the top Level 1 pediatric trauma centers in the region. The standard of care at such a facility is the benchmark we use to measure your child’s recovery.
Salter-Harris Growth Plate Fractures
Pediatric growth plates (physes) are made of cartilage, which is weaker than adult bone. A “trampoline fracture” often extends through these plates. A Salter-Harris Type II or III fracture might look like a standard broken bone on an initial X-ray, but the consequences can remain hidden for years. If a growth plate is destroyed at age nine, the bone may not grow straight or to its full length. This can lead to measurable limb-length discrepancies and the need for corrective osteotomy surgeries at age 14 or 18.
SCIWORA: The Silent Threat
Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality (SCIWORA) is a pediatric phenomenon where a child’s highly flexible cervical spine allows the cord to be injured even when the bones look normal on a CT scan. A head-first landing in a compacted foam pit—where the foam cubes have compressed to half their required depth—can torqué the neck and cause progressive neurological decline hours after the parent is told “everything looks fine.”
The Rhabdomyolysis Bridge
We are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against a major university involving rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. This is the exact same pathophysiology we see in kids who jump for 90 minutes straight in a hot, crowded park without adequate hydration. When muscle cells rupture from overexertion, they release myoglobin into the bloodstream, which then poisons the renal tubules. If your child had dark, tea-colored urine or extreme muscle pain 24 hours after a visit to a park near Hallsburg, you may be looking at a life-altering medical emergency. We know the experts, we know the science, and we know how to hold the institution accountable.
The 5-Layer Defendant Stack: We Go Upstream
When you sue a trampoline park, the insurer wants you to look only at the local operator LLC. This entity is often intentionally undercapitalized and carries a policy limit that won’t cover a catastrophic injury. We don’t stop there. Our corporate archeology protocol traces the liability through five layers:
- Layer 1: The Operator LLC (the local business in Waco or Temple).
- Layer 2: The Franchisee (the multi-unit group that owns several parks).
- Layer 3: The Franchisor (entities like Sky Zone Franchising LLC or Urban Air Franchise Holdings).
- Layer 4: The Corporate Parent (Sky Zone, Inc., owned by Palladium Equity Partners, or Unleashed Brands, owned by Seidler Equity).
- Layer 5: The Private Equity Sponsor (the money behind the cost-cutting decisions).
We recently studied Damion Collins v. Urban Air, where a Kansas arbitrator awarded $15.6 million and held the franchisor responsible for 40% of the fault. The arbitrator found a “systemic failure” to implement safety changes. That is our playbook. We pierce the corporate shields to find the deep-pocket layers where the real insurance coverage—often reaching $25 million to $100 million in excess towers—is hidden.
Preservation Protocol: What Hallsburg Families Must Do Now
What you do in the next 72 hours will determine if your case survives. The park’s risk management team is already at work to protect their margin. You need a team focused on protecting your family.
- Stop Post-Injury Communication: Do not answer the “friendly adjuster call.” Our associate, Lupe Peña, used to train these adjusters. He knows their script. They are recording you to build an “assumption of risk” defense.
- Preserve the Scene: If you can, take photos of the exact court and the monitor positions. Our biomechanical engineers need these to reconstruct the energy transfer.
- Digital Waiver Capture: Kiosk waiver databases often purge version histories on a 72-hour cycle. We use the Wayback Machine and forensic digital tools to capture exactly what the screen looked like when you signed it.
- Ex-Employee Outreach: We find the attendants who quit two weeks after your child was hurt. They are often willing to testify about short-staffing and broken equipment because they aren’t worried about losing a job they’ve already left.
Our firm advanced every expense. We pay for the life-care planners who calculate your child’s medical needs for the next 70 years. We pay for the orthopedic consultants who explain growth arrest to a jury. Your child’s recovery fund stays intact because we don’t get paid unless we recover money for you.
Frequently Asked Questions for Families in Hallsburg
“Can I sue if I signed the waiver at an Urban Air or Sky Zone?”
Yes. In Texas, waivers often fail the Dresser fair-notice test or are voided by the Munoz parent-minor doctrine. Additionally, waivers never cover gross negligence—like failing to replace compressed foam-pit cubes that have long since bottomed out.
“How much is my child’s trampoline injury case worth?”
Every case is different, but the math is anchored in reality. A Salter-Harris fracture in an eight-year-old is a six-figure case at the floor, often reaching into the $500K-$2M range when long-term growth disturbance is documented. Catastrophic spinal injuries can reach $10 million to $25 million in lifetime life-care planning.
“How long do I have to sue a trampoline park in Texas?”
Technically, the two-year statute of limitations is tolled for minors until they turn 18, giving them until age 20. However, the evidence is gone in 30 days. If you wait until your child is 20, the witnesses are gone, the video is erased, and the park has been rebranded three times. Call today.
“What if I didn’t actually sign the waiver—the friend’s parent did?”
This happens at birthday parties all the time. Texas Family Code § 153.073 says only a legal guardian can bind a minor. If Aunt Susie or the party host signed for your kid, the waiver is a legal nullity. This is one of the easiest ways we defeat these defenses.
“Will this affect my neighbor if the injury was in their backyard?”
Backyard cases usually target homeowners’ insurance. While many policies exclude trampolines, we look for umbrella policies and product liability claims against manufacturers like Jumpking, Skywalker, or Springfree.
Build Your Case with the Authority of Attorney911
We represent parents. We represent children. We represent the family sitting on the porch watching a child in a body cast who should have been at soccer practice to-day.
We have offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, but we handle trampoline cases throughout Hallsburg and the entire United States. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with Fortune 500 corporations and made them pay. The PE sponsors behind national trampoline chains don’t intimidate us—they just tell us which insurance tower to read first.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911. We are available 24/7. Hablamos Español. No fee unless we win. The park has lawyers. The franchisor has lawyers. The PE sponsor has lawyers. Now, you have us.
Frequently Asked Questions — Deep Dive for Hallsburg Parents
“Should I take my kid to a trampoline park at all?”
As attorneys, we see the output of the worst days. The AAP says no. If you go, count the monitors, look for airbags instead of foam pits, and never let them jump during peak hours when ratios collapse.
“What should I have done differently — how do I keep this from happening again?”
If you are asking this, you are experiencing the guilt we see in every parent. Again: it’s not your fault. The industry exists because it hides these risks behind a veneer of fun. Your child’s injury can change the industry. Maureen Kerley turned her son’s death at a park into “Ty’s Law” in Arizona. Your case can force these corporations to prioritize safety over margin.
“Why did no staff stop the bigger kids from jumping with my little one?”
Because the staff are often kids themselves, and the park manager has them performing three or four tasks at once. ASTM F2970 mandates one-jumper-per-square and size separation, but in a 20,000 sq ft facility with 100 jumpers and 2 monitors, enforcement is a myth. That is the definition of negligence.
“Is my kid’s head injury worse than they’re saying?”
If they have a persistent headache, nausea, or mood changes two months later, yes. Concussions in a developing brain can lead to academic regression and executive function damage that doesn’t manifest until they hit middle school. We retain neurocognitive experts to document this baseline gap.
“How long does the trampoline park keep surveillance video?”
Most major chains purge data on a 30-day rolling cycle. Some as short as 7 days. If you’re reading this a week after the injury, the clock is at midnight. Call us now at 888-ATTY-911 so we can secure the hard drive.
“Can I sue if the waiver was in English and we don’t read English well?”
Yes. Under the Delfingen doctrine in Texas, a waiver signed in a language the patron does not expertly comprehend may be void for lack of meeting-of-the-minds. Lupe Peña can evaluate your specific signing circumstances in Spanish.
“What is a ‘double bounce’ and why is everyone talking about it?”
It is the most-studied injury mechanism of the trampoline. When a heavier jumper lands, the bed’s tension increases. When the lighter child pushes off at that peak tension, they are “thrown,” not jumping. Their bones aren’t built for that impact.
“Does it matter which brand — is Sky Zone safer than Urban Air?”
All the major chains — Urban Air, Sky Zone, DEFY, Altitude — share similar liability structures and similar injury profiles. What matters is the specific day’s staffing levels and the maintenance of that specific attraction.
“How much does a trampoline-park lawyer cost?”
With us, zero dollars upfront. We advance the costs of the $10,000 biomechanical engineer and the $5,000 pediatric orthopedic expert. We only get reimbursed and paid if we settle the case or win a verdict.
“What if I signed on a tablet/kiosk?”
Electronic signatures are governed by the E-SIGN Act and Texas UETA rules. System glitches, time-outs, and a lack of clear notice during the “click-through” can all invalidate the contract. We subpoena the kiosk audit trail to find these errors.
“Why is the trampoline park insurer offering us money so fast?”
Because they know your case is worth forty times what they’re offering. They want you to sign a release for $5,000 before you realize the growth plate is destroyed and will cost $200,000 in future care. Don’t sign anything.
“Will I be called a ‘bad parent’ for taking them there?”
Only by people who don’t understand how these parks are marketed. Juries in Texas respond to parents who were deceived by a multibillion-dollar industry. We frame the case around the park’s secret knowledge vs. your parent-trust.
“WhoPays my child’s medical bills?”
Your health insurance will pay initially, but they will seek subrogation (reimbursement) from any settlement. Part of our job is negotiating those medical liens down so more of the recovery goes to your child’s future.
“I missed three weeks of work — can I recover that?”
Yes. Economic damages in Texas include the parent’s lost wages for caregiving, medical mileage, and household service disruptions.
Why Choose Attorney911?
Most personal injury firms treat a trampoline case like a slip-and-fall. They send a letter, wait for a denial, and settle for crumbs. We don’t. We handles trampoline injuries like the complex engineering and medical cases they are.
We quote ASTM F2970 from memory. We know that the court monitor was likely violating the one-attendant-per-court rule. We know the foam pit was probably compacted and that they haven’t rotated the cubes in six months.
We represent families in Hallsburg and across the state from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with the parent conglomerates: Sky Zone, Inc. (CircusTrix), Unleashed Brands (Urban Air), and ATP Alpha (Altitude). Their fleet of corporate lawyers doesn’t intimidate us—we’ve already beaten them in refinery explosions and trucking wrecks.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911. The consultation is free. The evidence is vanishing. Let’s start the fight today.
