3-Year-Old Dies in Bouncy Castle Accident on July, 1 2018
On July 1, 2018, a three-year-old girl named Ava-May Littleboy died in a bouncy castle accident in Norfolk, U.K. Located at the Bounce About play area at Gorleston Beach in Norfolk, the inflatable castle and trampoline combination suddenly exploded and sent the girl flying 30 feet in the air before she landed on the sand. A witness described hearing a loud pop just before the little girl was launched in the air.
Despite immediate aid efforts including 20 minutes of CPR the child was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. A statement by the owner of Bounce About said that the equipment exploded “because of the heat…my condolences go out to the family after this horrific accident.”
Other recent bouncy castle accidents include:
- Child blown onto California highway trapped inside bouncy castle on May 14, 2018
- Two kids injured when bouncy house flies 300 feet across Colorado field on June 2, 2014
- Five children injured when bounce house flies into the air in South Carolina on April 9, 2017
Inflatable bouncer-related injury statistics
According to data released by the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), hospitals were treating bouncy castle related injuries in 2010 at a rate six times higher than they were in 1990. More than 30 percent of those seeking treatment required medical follow-up after first seeking help in the emergency room and the most common injuries were fractures and sprains.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also reports an increase in bouncer-related injuries; between 2008 and 2010 the number of bouncy house related injuries being treated more than doubled to an average of 31 kids every day. Data shows that more than 64,000 children were treated in U.S. emergency departments for inflatable bouncer-related injuries between the years 1990 and 2010 with more than one third of those injured under the age of six.
With their increased popularity, the number of bouncy house related injuries jumped from 5,311 in 2003 to 17,377 in 2013, according to data gathered from U.S. hospital records by a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A Stateline analysis identified approximately 20,700 injuries in 2016.
Bouncy castle safety tips
In 2017 only half of states had regulations governing permits, inspections and insurance on inflatable kids entertainment. A Statelineinvestigation found that even in states that do have laws in place, many were not adequate to keep kids safe. As a result, parents and caregivers must be aware of safety guidelines to help protect their children from a bouncy house injury.
Click here for Child Safety Link suggestions on how to keep children safe on inflatable structures.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an injury as a result of an accident or error caused by the negligence of another, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
