When Grace Quiroz signed a liability waiver at a Dallas, Tex. area trampoline about three weeks ago, she didn’t think much of it. But, little did she know, she was signing away her right to receive financial help in the event of an injury, khou.com reported.
Ever since Nov. 29, when Quiroz went to North Dallas Jumpstreet indoor trampoline park with her husband to celebrate their son Matthew’s seventh birthday, she has been paralyzed from the waist down. Quiroz said she injured herself when she was jumping, did a little flip and fell hard on her neck.
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“It was like falling into the ground,” she told khou.com. “I mean, immediately, I couldn’t feel anything.”
Sullivan was playing on the dodgeball court nearby and rushed to his wife’s side. She was diagnosed with a severe spinal cord injury at Baylor Hospital then underwent surgery two days later. Doctors removed the broken pieces of vertebrae, and she now has two titanium plates in place to protect her spinal cord and hold her head in place.
Doctors said if she had moved an inch before paramedics arrived at the scene of the injury, she likely would have died. Khou.com reported that if the injury had been just one vertebrae higher, she would have had to use a ventilator and been unable to talk.
Her family has hired a lawyer to try to challenge the park and claim negligence.
"Our investigation is continuing," John Kirtley, their attorney, told khou.com. "We believe there is going to be some responsibility on their part."
Jumpstreet employees are reportedly looking into the accident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Quiroz and her family," Mark Goldman, the company's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "The safety of our guests and their families are our top priority."
The park said Quiroz’s incident was the first of its kind in seven years at the park.
Quiroz’s husband, Robert Sullivan, said the company hasn’t contacted his family regarding the accident, but that it returned the $98 the family spent there that night.
Today, Quiroz sleeps at the hospital every night. She has regained limited use of her arms and uses a wheelchair. She attends physical therapy in the hospital daily.
“It’s tough,” she said. “I’m going to fight this battle.”
Quiroz said she has faith that she’ll one day walk again. “I’m just taking one day at a time.”
The accident has been especially hard on the couple’s younger children, Sullivan said. "Matthew asked me, 'Is my mom going to lose her legs?'" Sullivan said. "It's just hard thing to answer."
Nonetheless, Sullivan and his wife aren’t giving up.
"You're going to beat this, and God's the top doctor," Sullivan told his wife. "You're going to be able to hug people and thank everybody who ever helped you.”
Should companies (or individuals) who have people jumping on their trampolines, have a short training course for patrons / friends before they let anyone go jumping?
I'd think they should clearly prohibit flips and other terribly dangerous activities.
Or, are they already regulated enough?
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
It seems to me that, if she's regaining use of ANYTHING below the injury, then the spinal cord is probably bruised, but not cut. So there should be hope for slowly recovering completely.
Any experts care to share?
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
Should companies (or individuals) who have people jumping on their trampolines, have a short training course for patrons / friends before they let anyone go jumping?
I'd think they should clearly prohibit flips and other terribly dangerous activities.
Or, are they already regulated enough?
Most of those places have signs posted about not doing flips and such.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
She signed a waiver. She took the risks on herself. It was a calculated risk and she lost.
This is on her.
As long as the equipment was in proper shape, the business has no liability.
People always want to blame someone else when something bad happens. I understand that. But this is one of those times when the only one with any responsibility is the woman.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
One of my coworkers' son broke his neck in a jump house a few years ago. He was horsing around with the kids and did a flip. He is paralyzed from the neck down. His fault, he never even considered suing. Unless the woman was a gymnast she probably had no business trying to do a flip.
-- Edited by Southern_Belle on Saturday 20th of December 2014 04:04:24 PM
Some activities have inherent risks that you accept when you do them. PLUS, she signed a waiver. This is on her.
Exactly. This is no different than a wreck at a go-cart track, or if you accidentally shoot yourself at a firing range.
As long as the equipment wasn't broken or malfunctioning, I don't see how the venue is expected to prevent every potential accident short of simply not having such a business.
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I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
Well, when I crashed riding the skateboard down the hill, it was nobody's fault but my own. And, of course I wasn't wearing a helmet or any protective gear. Fortunately, I just bruised my pride and bloodied my head and knee a bit.
