Government

Legislature approves trampoline safety rules and liability protection

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By DANIELLE WOODWARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — Jumpers bouncing around indoor trampoline parks have new rules to follow under a bill narrowly approved by state lawmakers. The new law says park owners have to post rules and users must follow them. If jumpers accept certain risks, it protects trampoline court owners from injury-related lawsuits. “The goal is to create certainty and understanding of the responsibilities between the customers and the owners,” said bill sponsor state Sen. David Hildenbrand, R-Oakland County. “There wasn’t a clearly defined law of customer and owner responsibility, and we found that people would not follow the rules and get injured, resulting in lawsuits.”

The bill, which still must be signed by the governor before it’s law, requires owners to comply with safety standards published in 2013 by the American Society for Testing and Material.

Government

Trampoline safety bill bounces into the Capitol

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By MATTHEW HALL
Capital News Service
LANSING – A proposed law would require commercial trampoline operators to maintain safety standards and notify patrons of risks. The bill was introduced by Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell, after being approached by industry representatives looking for more safety and liability protection. “Trampoline court operators looked at what other states offer in regards to some protections in the law for good operators,” said Fred Schaible, Hildenbrand’s chief of staff, adding that no specific incidents prompted the push for the trampoline law. “It’s more of a preemptive measure just to make sure that this expanding and growing industry in the state is able to do so in a successful way,” he said. Commercial “trampoline courts,” play areas that consist of foam pits and dozens of trampolines, are a booming business in Michigan.