A trampoline park in Richmond, British Colombia, Canada, is being sued for negligence following a tragic death at the facility, reports The Star Vancouver.
The claim says Jason Greenwood, 46, visited an Extreme Air Park location in Richmond in January and jumped into the foam pit in a somersault-like motion. The subsequent injuries he sustained as a result, proved fatal.
The lawsuit alleges the Richmond facility failed to supervise Greenwood, did not provide him with any safety instructions, or prevent him from participating in activities that were outside his physical abilities. It also alleges it failed to warn Greenwood of the dangers of diving into the foam pit headfirst or to ensure the pit was wide or deep enough and had enough foam.
The death and resulting loss to Greenwood’s family was caused solely by the negligence of Extreme Air Park, the lawsuit says.
Extreme Air Park said in January it was “devastated” by the death and customer safety is its highest priority.
In February, Extreme Air Park owner Michael Marti wrote a letter urging John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia, to create safety regulations for the trampoline park industry.
Extreme Air Park facilities have strict safety protocols in place but, without regulations for the industry, the company has “focused on meeting and exceeding industry best practices,” Marti said.
He said over one million people have visited the company’s four parks but staff have only had to call the ambulance service 87 times, or one in approximately 11,550 guests.
The news comes after yesterday’s InterGame report of hardening conditions in the Canadian insurance market for trampoline parks, which is making trading more difficult for operators.
