Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog

In what is being labeled as a freak accident, a 30-year-old man lost his life at an indoor trampoline park after suffering spinal cord injuries in Phoenix.

According to The Arizona Republic, the man broke his neck after falling into a foam pit inside one of the half-dozen trampoline parks that have emerged in the Phoenix area in recent years. The sites have been a magnet for recreation-seekers of all ages, but have also, according to the newspaper, been the site for a number of injuries - everything from strained muscles to fractured bones.

While both the trampoline park is conducting its own investigation into what happened, the park remains open.

Our Phoenix injury lawyers want everyone to keep in mind that government oversight of these type of facilities is minimal, as this is a somewhat new genre. Many of these parks have not only trampolines, but dodge ball, Velcro walls and basketball hoops. City and county officials don't inspect for much more than fire hazards or the safety of the actual structure. Inspectors are not looking at whether the equipment is safe for play, according to the newspaper article.

The centers have cropped up across the state, with two in Phoenix, one in Peoria, one in Scottsdale, one in Glendale and three in Chandler. In the last two years, some of these centers have had more than 30 calls for an emergency ambulance.

Unlike gymnastics centers, these trampoline parks might not require their staff to acquire any sort of safety certification.

Patrons are often required to sign a waiver, freeing the park of any liability if you get hurt. There is at least one case, though, in which The Republic is reporting the parents of a 17-year-old are suing, saying someone other than the teen's legal guardian signed the paperwork to play in the park. That teen ended up with a broken ankle.

Additionally, the parents of a 16-year-old are suing one of the parks for negligence after she broke her leg.

In another case, the mother of a 10-year-old boy told a reporter her son may need more than $50,000 worth of dental work over the course of his life, after suffering an injury at one of these parks.

In the fatal fall suffered by the 30-year-old man, the victim reportedly broke his neck, and later died, after falling into a pile of foam cubes after jumping on a trampoline.

Spinal cord injuries in Phoenix aren't always fatal, but they can be devastating and require years of intense physical therapy. A person may permanently lose certain capabilities, such as the ability to walk or use arms and hands. This type of injury can be especially painful for someone who was previously very active and full of vitality.

People who do survive an injury to the spinal cord will often have to cope with medical complications, such as bladder and bowel problems, chronic pain and increased chances of heart and respiratory problems.

Continue reading "Phoenix Trampoline Death Leads to Injury Concerns" »

Arizona slip and fall attorney Gary Annes has settled a case on behalf of a woman who slipped and fell on a sheet of ice in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred after a man hosed down his back porch in an attempt to clean up dog poop. He did this in freezing conditions which caused a sheet of ice to form. He then allowed the plaintiff to go out on the back porch to throw away some garbage and failed to advise her of the dangerous condition. She slipped and fell on the ice, landing on her right hand and for head.

Gary Annes settled the case for the homeowner's $100,000 insurance policy limits. The case was resolved without having to file a lawsuit, saving our client the cost of litigation.

Shortly after the accident, the defendant told our client he had been using his gated patio behind his townhouse as a small dog run. He admitted that the day before he had sprayed down the concrete slab patio to try to clean up dog excrement. Due to freezing temperatures the water turned to ice, and the ice was then hidden by a light snow. The homeowner also stated he intended to salt the area and forgot to do so.

After falling, our client had extreme right wrist pain and head pain. She was transported immediately after the accident to an emergency room. At the ER, she was examined and x-rays were taken. In addition to her wrist and head pain, she was dizzy and nauseous. Emergency room doctors noted a large contusion on her forehead and a deformity on her right wrist with tenderness.

X-rays showed she sustained a severely fractured wrist. She was also diagnosed with a closed head injury and post concussion syndrome. Doctors put her wrist in an immobilizer and she was prescribed medications for pain, and referred to a surgeon.

The next day she went to treatment at an orthopedic group where a physician reviewed her x-rays and examined her wrist. The surgeon observed a wrist deformity and significant swelling, and sent her back to the hospital for a CT scan.

Based on the CT results, an open reduction internal fixation surgical procedure was recommended. The surgery took place short time later at a different area hospital. A plate and screws were used to secure the fracture during surgery.

After the surgery, the plaintiff followed up with her physician on a regular basis for several months. A month after surgery her cast and staples were taken out and she was put into a splint.

She had limitations under doctors orders for a period of time, such as no heavy lifting. Her surgeon instructed her to do a home program that included exercises and stretching.

Even after she was done treating with her doctors, she still had pain in her wrist. The plaintiff's pain is very noticeable when the weather changes, like when it is damp or cold, and she also experiences pain when lifting objects.

Due to the accident our client had in the area of $30,000 in medical bills, and she also has a scar on her right wrist.

Continue reading "Phoenix premises liability lawyers reach $100,000 settlement in "dog poop case"" »