A trampoline can be fun for kids, but it can also be dangerous. If you’re thinking about getting a trampoline, check with your insurance company first to find out if it would be covered and if you would have to take protective measures and pay higher premiums.
Why Insurers are Strict When It Comes to Trampolines
When someone jumps on a trampoline, there is a risk that the person will wind up with a broken bone or a head or neck injury. It’s not just your own family members and guests who can get hurt.
A trampoline is an example of an “attractive nuisance,” something that is potentially dangerous to children and also appealing to them. A homeowner who has a trampoline, a pool or another type of attractive nuisance has a duty to put a barrier around it to keep kids away.
The reasoning is that young children will naturally be drawn to something that is dangerous, but they won’t understand the danger. The adults who own the attractive nuisance therefore have an obligation to protect children by making the object inaccessible. If you don’t have a barrier around a trampoline and a child gets hurt on it, you can be sued, even if the child was trespassing.
Coverage You Will Need if You Own a Trampoline
If you get a trampoline, you will need coverage for liability and medical payments. Given the types of serious injuries that can occur when using a trampoline, you may find that your current coverage limits aren’t high enough to adequately protect you. If you raise your limits, you will have to pay higher premiums.
You may want to purchase an umbrella policy. It can give you additional coverage and protect your other assets if someone gets seriously injured and you get sued for an amount that exceeds the coverage limit in your standard homeowners policy.
Your insurance policy may or may not cover you if the trampoline gets picked up by a strong gust of wind and injures someone or damages a neighbor’s property. You should also find out if your policy’s personal property coverage will pay to replace a trampoline that gets damaged, vandalized or stolen.
Get in Touch With Your Insurance Company
If you’re thinking about getting a trampoline, contact your insurance company first to find out if it would be covered. The insurer may tell you that it doesn’t cover trampolines. If that’s the case, you may decide not to get a trampoline, or you may choose to switch insurance companies.
Don’t buy a trampoline and not notify your insurer. You have a responsibility to inform your insurance company of risks on your property so the insurer knows what it’s covering and can charge you appropriate rates. If someone gets injured on a trampoline that your insurance company didn’t know you had, a claim will be denied, your policy can be canceled and you will have to pay medical bills and other costs yourself.
