As the summer is approaching in Pennsylvania, it’s very tempting to consider planning an outdoors party like a birthday event or a barbeque using a bouncy house rented from a company. Unfortunately, injuries sustained by children participating in an activity like this can lead to serious legal questions about liability.
Injuries and accidents in a bounce house can go from minor to severe relatively quickly. There are several tips that parents can consider in determining whether or not it’s appropriate to use a bounce house and how to minimize their risks of being named in a premises liability accident.
Make Sure the House Is Tightly Connected to the Ground
If the inflatable bounce house is not properly secured to your property, children inside could be thrown very high and sustain injuries upon hitting the ground. Make sure that before any children enter the facility that you have ensured that it is connected at all of the relevant parts of the material.
Always Use Adult Supervision
Although bounce houses are a great way to burn energy and keep children busy during an event and one adult should always be present in order to handle the situation appropriately if things are getting out of hand or if a child does sustain an injury. 
Think About Liability Waivers
If you are going to be bringing over many children over to your house for a bounce house party, you may want to consider asking that parents sign liability waivers before children are allowed to use the bounce house. This is the same mentality used by trampoline parks that request that parents sign liability waivers before the children are allowed to enter the facility. An injury can lead to a premises liability case.
Understand Who May Be Held Responsible If an Accident Happens
There are numerous parties that could be held legally responsible in the event that a child is injured while using a bounce house. You may be able to consider the following individuals liable.
- Amusement workers. If another company provided inflated or managed the bounce house, the employees and the company could be sued for negligence in the event that an accident happens.
- Location owners. As an individual hosting a party, you may be legally responsible under premises liability law.
- If the bounce house itself was defective and this led to serious injuries for the children enjoying it, the manufacturer could be held legally responsible for any injuries sustained.
It is important to remember that bounce houses can be fun when used properly and when all of the materials are installed and manufactured properly. When this is not the case and someone sustains a serious injury as a result of enjoying the bounce house, you may have concerns that you may need to discuss with a Philadelphia defective product attorney. You may have grounds for a legal claim against the manufacturer in the event that the bounce house malfunctioned or otherwise did not function as promised.