Paralyzed Minnesota Man Settles Injury Lawsuit With Trampoline Park
A paralyzed Minnesota man claiming he sustained his injury while at an indoor trampoline park recently settled his personal injury lawsuit with the defendant to help pay for the medical costs and lost wages incurred in the accident. St. Cloud-based AirMaxx Trampoline Park agreed to settle the matter for $3 million during mediation, a common procedure in civil procedure to help resolve claims.
The resolution came as the judge overseeing the case was considering a defense motion to dismiss the case, yet the defendant chose to settle the matter nonetheless. While the defendant does not admit any liability by settling the case out of court, the significance of the award is a testament to the merit of the case and the skill of the plaintiff’s personal injury attorney.
The suit’s ending comes a year and a half after the plaintiff suffered his catastrophic personal injury while at the trampoline park with his then 11-year-old son. The victim performed a somersault while jumping into a foam pit, hitting his head on the bottom of the enclosure which left him paralyzed from the neck down.
For months, the defendant denied liability for the plaintiff’s life changing injury, citing a waiver of liability signed by the victim prior to engaging in activity at the park. While waivers of liability are generally enforceable in many situations, they cannot excuse wrongdoers from gross negligence and the injury they cause.
Minnesota waivers of liability laws
Most individuals have signed a waiver of liability at some point in their life in order to partake in certain activities or enter a park or other premises. These agreements state visitors understand the inherent risk of engaging in the activity and therefore cannot hold property owners responsible for any injury sustained while on the premises.
However, Minnesota personal injury laws hold these injury waivers are not enforceable when defendants engage in especially egregious behavior or do not take proper steps to mitigate foreseeable injuries. As a general rule, all property owners must take these same steps to keep visitors safe by making timely repairs, posting hazard signs, and being aware of potential dangers.
Contact our Minnesota personal injury lawyers for help
If you or a loved one suffered a personal injury, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced Minnesota personal injury lawyers about your case. Your free consultation is confidential and comes with no obligations.