In the wooden corridors and quiet neighborhoods of Patton Village, parents often look for high-energy outlets for their children. Whether it is a Saturday morning trip down Interstate 69 to the Urban Air in Humble or the Sky Zone in Spring, or a birthday celebration at the Altitude Trampoline Park near the Woodlands, our community embraces the trampoline culture. We see the backyard enclosures in almost every third yard along our county roads. But for many families in Patton Village, what begins as a day of “family fun” ends with a sound that haunts a parent for a lifetime.
Kaitlin “Kati” Hill, a mother whose story reached a quarter-million families online, described that moment with haunting clarity. Her three-year-old son, Colton, was at a facility advertised for “Toddler Time.” A larger child landed on the same trampoline mat, and the energy transfer snapped Colton’s femur—the strongest bone in the human body. Kati told ABC News it was “the worst scream that you could ever have heard from a child.” At the hospital, after Colton was placed in a body cast that he would wear for months, Kati shared a sentiment we hear from Patton Village parents every week: “We had no idea.”
We are The Manginello Law Firm—Attorney911. Since 1998, Ralph Manginello has stood as an advocate for families facing the aftermath of catastrophic injury. Our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont serve as a launch point for a national practice dedicated to holding the trampoline industry accountable. We don’t just “handle” these cases. We deconstruct them. With over 25 years of courtroom experience, including federal court admission in the Southern District of Texas, our managing partner Ralph Manginello has gone head-to-head with corporate giants like BP, Walmart, and Amazon. We bring that same Fortune-500-level litigation discipline to the parent conglomerates behind trampoline parks—entities like Sky Zone, Inc. (backed by Palladium Equity Partners) and Unleashed Brands (the parent of Urban Air, backed by Seidler Equity Partners).
If your child was injured at a trampoline park serving Patton Village, or on a defective residential trampoline in a Montgomery County backyard, you are likely being told by an insurance adjuster that the “waiver” you signed ends your case. They are betting that you don’t know the law. They are betting you haven’t talked to us.
The Patton Village Guide to Trampoline Safety Standards
In the legal world, “accidents” are rarely accidental. Most injuries at commercial parks or on backyard equipment are the predictable result of business decisions. In Patton Village, we investigate these cases by looking at the “safety floor” the industry set for itself—and then proving how the defendant chose to jump beneath it.
ASTM F2970: The Standard the Industry Wrote (and Often Ignores)
Commercial parks like Urban Air and Sky Zone operate under a voluntary consensus standard known as ASTM F2970. This standard was actually drafted by the trampoline park industry itself. It was their way of saying, “This is the minimum we must do to keep patrons safe.” When we represent a family from Patton Village, we cite this standard because it proves the park knew the duty of care.
ASTM F2970 covers every critical safety infrastructure:
- Attendant-to-Jumper Ratios: Best practices generally require one monitor for every 32 jumpers. On a crowded Saturday afternoon in Humble or Spring, we often find ratios as high as 1-to-60.
- Age and Weight Separation: The standard recognizes the physics of the “double-bounce.” It requires parks to separate jumpers by size. When an 80-pound child and a 200-pound adult share a court, the park has violated its own industry standard.
- Foam Pit Depth: ASTM F2970 requires specific depths and densities for foam blocks. When blocks compact over time, they lose their ability to absorb impact, leading to the cervical spine injuries we see in head-first landings.
Whenever we cite ASTM F2970, we also reference EN ISO 23659:2022. This is the mandatory international standard used across Europe. While the United States relies on the industry to “voluntarily” follow its own rules, the rest of the developed world treats these safety mandates as law. We use this international benchmark to show Patton Village juries that the “standard” our local parks follow is often the bare minimum.
ASTM F381: The Backyard Standard
For the hundreds of residential trampolines in Patton Village, the standard is ASTM F381. This standard, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statements, is clear: children under the age of six should never use a trampoline. Most manufacturers, from Jumpking to Skywalker and Springfree, print this in their manuals to protect themselves from liability. But they continue to market these products as backyard toys for young children.
The AAP has been warning against home trampoline use since 1999, with major reaffirmations in 2012 and 2019. When a Patton Village neighbor’s trampoline causes an injury to your child, we look at the “Attractive Nuisance” doctrine. In Texas, a homeowner can be held liable if they have a dangerous condition—like an unfenced trampoline—that is likely to attract children who do not realize the risk.
Why the Waiver You Signed in Montgomery County is Not a Wall
The most common hurdle Patton Village parents face is the kiosk waiver. At every Urban Air or Sky Zone, they slide an iPad across the counter and tell you to “sign or you can’t jump.”
Our associate attorney, Lupe Peña, brings an incredible edge to our firm: he used to work on the other side. Lupe defended insurance companies and recreational businesses against the exact same claims we now bring. He knows exactly which waiver clauses are built on a foundation of sand.
The Texas “Fair Notice” Doctrine
Under the landmark case Dresser Industries, Inc. v. Page Petroleum, a waiver in Texas must meet the “Express Negligence” rule and the “Conspicuousness” requirement. This means the word “negligence” must be used specifically, and it must be formatted in a way that catches the eye. A release tucked into a 20-page digital terms-of-service often fails this test.
Minor Rights in Texas (Munoz v. II Jaz Inc.)
Perhaps most importantly for Patton Village families, the case of Munoz v. II Jaz Inc. established that a parent in Texas generally cannot sign away a minor child’s personal cause of action. Your signature may bar your own individual claim, but it does not extinguish the legal rights of your child.
Even with the 2025 Texas Supreme Court ruling in Cerna v. Pearland Urban Air, which dealt with “delegation clauses” in arbitration, the core of your child’s case remains alive. Whether in court or in front of an arbitrator, the park’s negligence is still a liability they must answer for. As we saw in the Damion Collins v. Urban Air $15.6 million arbitration award in 2023, an arbitrator can hold a waiver unenforceable when there is a “systemic failure” to provide safety information to the patron.
The Physics of a Catastrophic Landing: Why It’s Not a “Freak Accident”
When we discuss the physics of these injuries with families in Patton Village, we explain that these outcomes are predictable.
The Double-Bounce Multiplyer
The most dangerous mechanism on a trampoline is the energy transfer or “double-bounce.” When a heavier jumper lands just as a lighter child is pushing off, the bed stores elastic potential energy and launches the child with force multiplied by up to 4x. The child is no longer jumping; they are being thrown. This is how “trampoline fractures” occur—metaphyseal buckle fractures of the tibia, common in kids under 6 whose bones are still developing.
Pediatric Biology: The Growth Plate Risk
Children’s bones are not just smaller versions of adult bones. They contain growth plates (physes). A Salter-Harris fracture at age eight can produce a limb-length discrepancy that doesn’t manifest until the child is fourteen. If a Patton Village child is injured, we don’t just calculate today’s ER bill. We look at the next decade of orthopedic monitoring, potential corrective surgeries, and the lifetime earning capacity loss.
We also look at SCIWORA (Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality). This is a pediatric phenomenon where a child may have a “normal” CT scan in the ER but have suffered a devastating cord injury because their ligamentous spine is more flexible than their nervous system.
The Rhabdomyolysis Bridge
One under-reported risk of trampoline parks is exertional rhabdomyolysis. This occurs when muscle tissue breaks down and releases myoglobin into the bloodstream, which is toxic to the kidneys. In hot Texas indoor environments where kids jump for two hours straight, this is a real threat.
Attorney911 is uniquely positioned to handle these cases. We are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston involving rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. We have the medical experts, the nephrology specialists, and the discovery protocols to prove the pathology of muscle-and-organ breakdown. If your child had “cola-colored” urine or listlessness 24 hours after a trip to a jump park near Patton Village, you must seek emergency care immediately, then call us.
How the 5-Layer Stack Hides the Money (and How We Find It)
When a Patton Village family asks, “Who do I sue?” the answer is never just the name on the sign. Trampoline parks are engineered as a layered corporate shield:
- The Operator LLC: The local entity running the park in Humble or Spring. These are often undercapitalized SPEs (Special Purpose Entities).
- The Franchisee: A multi-unit holding company that may own several regional locations.
- The Franchisor: Sky Zone Franchising LLC or Urban Air Franchise Holdings. They dictate the training and safety standards.
- The Parent Company: Sky Zone, Inc. (CircusTrix) or Unleashed Brands.
- The Private Equity Sponsor: Palladium Equity or Seidler Equity Partners.
We go upstream. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with Fortune 500 corporations, and we know that the “policy limit is $1 million” line the adjuster uses is a shell game. The primary GL is the floor. We search for the umbrella policies, the excess layers, and the franchisor’s “additional insured” coverage. We follow the money from the court monitor in Montgomery County all the way to the corporate headquarters in Bedford or Provo.
48 Hours: The Patton Village Evidence Preservation Protocol
The single most important factor in your case is what happens in the first 72 hours.
The park’s risk management team is working before the EMS unit leaves the parking lot. Their goal is preservation of the park, not your child. In Patton Village, we know that evidence evaporates on a schedule:
- Surveillance Video: Usually overwritten in 7 to 30 days.
- Waiver Kiosk Logs: Version-history databases can purge every 72 hours.
- Incident Reports: Often “revised” or sanitized 48 hours after the event.
- Attendants: Staff turnover is as high as 150% annually. They quit or transfer within weeks.
When you retain Attorney911, our spoliation letter goes out within 24 hours. We demand the DVR hard drive, the IP-address logs from the kiosk, the daily pre-opening inspection logs, and the individual training files of every attendant on shift. We don’t wait for them to “lose” the video. We freeze it.
Learn more in our video guide: “I’ve Had an Accident — What Should I Do First?” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCox4Lq7zBM. Our associate, Lupe Peña, will ensure we collect the forensics—from the specific foam block samples to the metadata on their computer system.
The Patton Village Why Choose Us: Our MOAT
Most personal injury firms handle a trampoline case the same way they’d handle a slip-and-fall at a grocery store. We don’t. We built a MOAT around our practice that no other firm in Texas can match:
- INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Lupe Peña used to write the arguments for the parks. He knows the defense playbook because he helped create it.
- RHABDO MASTERY: Our active $10M UH case means we are the authority on muscle-crush and exertion injury litigation.
- BP BATTLE-TESTED: Ralph Manginello handled the BP Texas City refinery explosion litigation. We’ve fought the largest corporate firms in the world and won.
- NATIONWIDE AUTHORITY: Based in Texas, we represent families across the country. Our 50-state map of waiver enforceability and parental indemnity is a research asset other firms don’t have.
- CONTINGENCY DISCIPLINE: You pay nothing unless we win. We advance the costs of the biomechanical engineer, the pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and the ASTM compliance specialists. Your child’s recovery fund stays whole.
- HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL: Para las familias en Patton Village y sus alrededores, Lupe Peña ofrece representación directa en español. No permitiremos que una aseguradora use una barrera de idioma para presionarlo a aceptar un acuerdo injusto.
Frequently Asked Questions for Patton Village Parents
Can I sue if I signed the waiver at a park in Humble or Spring?
Yes. In most cases, a signed waiver does not equal professional immunity. Under Texas law, waivers cannot release a park from gross negligence—the conscious disregard of known safety risks. Since the industry wrote its own safety standard (ASTM F2970), any violation of that standard is evidence of gross negligence. Furthermore, Munoz v. II Jaz Inc. protects the direct legal claims of your minor child regardless of your signature.
Are trampoline parks safe for toddlers or kids under 6?
The American Academy of Pediatrics says they are not. The AAP and ASTM F381 clearly state children under six should not use trampolines. When a park like Urban Air or Altitude markets “Little Jumper” sessions to three-year-olds, they are inviting children into an environment that pediatric scientists have labeled unsafe for decades. We treat this marketing as foreseeability of injury.
My kid broke their leg at the park. What do I do now?
Seek medical care immediately, preferably at a Level 1 Trauma Center like Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands. Ask for images identifying if the fracture involves the growth plate. Then, call us at 1-888-ATTY-911. Do not post about the accident on social media, and do not take the “friendly” call from the insurance adjuster.
How do I tell if the park was negligent or if it was just an accident?
At Attorney911, we don’t believe in “accidents.” We look for specific procedural failures. Was the monitor on their phone? Was there an adult on the same bed as a child? Was the foam pit compacted? We pull the daily inspection logs and the franchisor’s own audit reports. If they broke the rules, they were negligent.
They wouldn’t call 911 when my child was hurt—is that legal?
It is a documented industry pattern. Parents at Urban Air locations have publicly reported instructed staff not to call 911 to “downplay” injuries. We treat “Don’t Call 911” protocols as evidence of gross negligence and evidence-destruction efforts. Every minute they delay is a minute the surveillance video gets closer to overwriting.
Can they make my minor child waive their rights via a kiosk?
No. Minors lack the legal capacity to enter into a contract of release. In Texas, even a parent’s signature on behalf of a minor is generally unenforceable against the child’s personal injury claim.
Is an iPad or kiosk waiver even enforceable?
They are often challenged on “conspicuousness” grounds. If the font was too small, the language was buried, or you were pressured to click “agree” quickly because of a line, the waiver may not meet the “Fair Notice” doctrine required in Texas.
Is my homeowner’s or health insurance going to cover this?
Health insurance handles the treatment but not the lifelong costs or the subrogation interest. Homeowner’s insurance policies in Patton Village frequently have a trampoline exclusion clause. A lawsuit is usually the only way to ensure the child’s future is financially secure.
How long do I have to do something—is there a deadline?
Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury. For a minor, that clock is tolled until they turn 18. However, the evidence deadline is measured in days. If the video is overwritten, or the attendant quits, the case becomes much harder to prove. Call us within 48 hours.
Does it matter which brand? Is Sky Zone safer than Urban Air?
Different brands have different problems. Urban Air has a documented chain-wide pattern of Sky Rider zipline strangulations and harness failures. Sky Zone (post-Jan 1, 2023 consolidation under Sky Zone, Inc.) has seen hundreds of EMS dispatches for foot and leg entrapment in mat gaps. We look for the pattern across the corporate chain.
What if I didn’t actually sign the waiver—but my in-laws or the friend’s parent did?
Texas law is strict about signer authority. Under Family Code § 153.073, only a legal guardian can bind a child. If a coach, a friend’s mom, or a relative without legal guardianship signed the iPad, the waiver has no legal standing against your child.
Is my kid’s head injury worse than they’re saying?
If your child was diving into a foam pit or collided head-first and the ER said it was a “panic attack,” get a second opinion. The viral Elle Yona case showed that vertebral artery dissections are often misdiagnosed as panic attacks before they lead to spinal-cord strokes.
When Margins Come Before Montgomery County Kids
What happened to your child at a trampoline park in Patton Village or a residential backyard wasn’t a random event. It was the predictable output of a business system designed to maximize jumpers and minimize costs.
The industry-written standard (ASTM F2970) provides the floor, but parks drive through it to hit margin targets set by private equity owners. The surveillance is set to overwrite before you leave the hospital. The waiver was drafted by lawyers who know it won’t hold in Patton Village courtrooms, but they hope you believe it will.
Attorney911 was built for exactly this fight. Ralph Manginello brings 25+ years of federal court and catastrophic injury experience. Lupe Peña knows their defense script because he used to write it. We currently litigate a $10 million lawsuit for the same medical conditions found in trampoline crush injuries.
Your child’s case depends on what gets preserved this week. surveillance DVRs vanish in 7-30 days. Metadata is purged. Attendants move. Do not let the park’s insurance adjuster close the file with a small check.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911. We answer 24/7. Hablamos Español. No fee unless we win. We advance every expense—from the biomechanical engineer to the life-care planner. Your child’s recovery fund stays whole. Our spoliation letter goes out within 24 hours of your call. The case starts today.
1-888-ATTY-911
Attorney911 | The Manginello Law Firm
Houston · Austin · Beaumont · National Authority
