Check Your Homeowner's Insurance Policy Before Getting That Trampoline

Sandy Grinnell

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It looks like a lot of fun when you see kids bouncing around on a trampoline. But did you know they could be a huge liability? According to the website Insurance4USA, many insurance companies have a "trampoline exclusion."

Trampoline incidents are one of the leading causes of visits to the emergency room in the US. For this exact reason, many companies have placed “trampoline exclusions” in their policies to protect themselves from trampoline claims. This means if a homeowner has a trampoline and someone gets hurt on it, the company will not pay for damages. Thus opening up one’s personal assets to cover the damages or the legal defense costs associated with the claim. Companies with these exclusions don’t have a grandfather clause stating homes already with a trampoline are afforded the coverage. The exclusion applies across the board.

But with that tall net around the outside, they look pretty safe, right? The Consumer Products Safety Commission says that in 2001 there were close to 92,000 emergency room visits due to trampoline injuries, and most them of them occurred at private homes. 93% of the injuries involved children under the age of 15. With all trampoline exclusions, makes you wonder if any of them were covered by the homeowner's insurance policy.

So be forewarned, if you have a trampoline in your backyard, you may be in violation of your homeowner's policy. Even if they cover the first claim, that claim is likely to be your last as your insurance carrier may cancel your homeowner's insurance policy.