"
skip to Main Content
    • Medical Negligence
    • Women’s Health
          • Women’s Health

            We know that there is disparity in women’s health care, treatment, and support. We are committed to improving the lives of women and strongly advocating for their wellbeing.  That is why we take a stand and hold medical professionals accountable when medical care falls short of expected standards by delivering the best outcome in medical negligence claims affecting women.

            Read More

    • Hospital Negligence
          • Hospital Negligence

            We understand you may feel let down because you have experienced inadequate or negligent care and treatment in a hospital or medical facility. Your wellbeing is most important to us and we are committed to supporting you with compassion and holding medical professionals accountable for breach of duty and negligent care.

            Read More

    • Clinical Support
          • Clinical Support

            Experiencing poor or adverse outcomes from allied health treatment can be distressing and life changing. We are here to support you through your claim and it is our aim to hold allied health professionals accountable for their breach of care by delivering the outcome you deserve to your negligence claims.

            Read More

    • I need help
          • Not Sure where to start?

            Hello, I’m Jade. I’m here to help you with a quick call that will help us better understand your legal concerns. This way, I can connect you with the lawyer who is best suited to assist you with your situation.

            Your well-being is important to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

            Call me on 02 4050 0330 or email [email protected]

    • Personal Injury
          • Personal Injury

            If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, our specialist team of Personal Injury Lawyers is here to support you with compassion and understanding providing you with the right advice. Our team has substantial experience and expertise in these matters to deliver the outcomes you deserve from your claim.

            Read More

    • Work Injury
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
          • Motor Vehicle Accidents

            We are here to support you and give you the clarity, guidance and the right legal advice if you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident. Our compassionate team of professionals in Personal Injury law have the technical expertise and a wealth of experience to win you the compensation you deserve.

            Read More

    • Public Liability
          • Public Liability

            Our specialist team in Personal Injury law is here to support you in accessing proper compensation if you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence. We have cutting edge expertise and experience in public liability claims to deliver the outcome you deserve.

            Read More

    • Abuse
          • Institutional Abuse

            We strongly believe that educational institutions must be held accountable when failing to protect children while in their care. If you have experienced institutional physical or sexual abuse, our specialist team in Personal Injury law is here to support you with compassion and offer our technical expertise and experience to deliver the best outcome in your case.

            Read More

    • Workers Compensation
          • Workers Compensation

            When you sustain an injury or illness because of work, you may be entitled to  compensation. Our specialist team in Personal Injury Law is here to support you with compassion and understanding with the right advice. We have substantial technical expertise to deliver the best possible outcome from your claim.

            Read More

    • Total & Permanent Disability (TPD)
          • Total & Permanent Disability (TPD)

            Are you unable to work because you have suffered a serious and permanent injury?

            You may be able to claim on the insurances under an existing superannuation policy for either or both income payments during the period of disability (income protection/salary continuance) and/or a lump sum for Total and Permanent Disablement (‘TPD’).

            Read More

    • School Negligence
    • I Need Help
          • Not Sure where to start?

            Hello, I’m Jade. I’m here to help you with a quick call that will help us better understand your legal concerns. This way, I can connect you with the lawyer who is best suited to assist you with your situation.

            Your well-being is important to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

            Call me on 02 4050 0330 or email [email protected]

    • Wills & Estate Planning
          • Wills and Estates

            When we provide advice on estate planning, we believe  in giving advice on options to mitigate the risks of litigation by potentially unhappy family members and protecting your assets from claims. Our legal team is here to support you and address your concerns regarding your estate planning. We have immense experience in these matters, providing you with advice and representation for your unique situation and delivering the best outcomes for your case.

            Read More

    • Powers of Attorney
    • Contest A Will
          • Contest A Will

            We have immense experience and specialised knowledge in family provision and wills disputes Where you have not been properly and adequately provided for under a will or where you suspect that the person making the will may not have had capacity or exercised their own free will, you need a lawyer with extensive experience and expertise. Our team of Lawyers will  provide you with advice and representation for your unique situation and deliver the best outcomes for your case.

            Read More

    • Probate & Deceased Estates
    • Enduring Guardian
    • Family Provision
    • I Need Help
          • Not Sure where to start?

            Hello, I’m Jade. I’m here to help you with a quick call that will help us better understand your legal concerns. This way, I can connect you with the lawyer who is best suited to assist you with your situation.

            Your well-being is important to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

            Call me on 02 4050 0330 or email [email protected]

    • Other Services Overview
          • Conrad Curry Can assist you with a variety of services

            Our solicitors are highly experienced in providing you with expert legal advice and will keep you informed every step of the way. It’s good to know that our firm is trusted and effective with a high success rate.

            Read More

    • Professional Negligence
          • Professional Negligence

            We rely on professionals in all aspects of our lives to provide us with proper advice on which to make decisions about our financial and legal affairs. When you are let down by poor advice the results can be devastating.  We are here to support you in your claim for compensation with clarity, guidance and the right advice to achieve the outcome you deserve.

            Read More

    • Malicious Prosecution
          • Malicious Prosecution

            We believe in standing up for those people who are falsely accused and prosecuted. Our experienced legal team is here to support you with compassion and provide you with clarity, guidance, and the right advice in your claim for compensation.

            Read More

    • General Litigation
    • I Need Help
          • Not Sure where to start?

            Hello, I’m Jade. I’m here to help you with a quick call that will help us better understand your legal concerns. This way, I can connect you with the lawyer who is best suited to assist you with your situation.

            Your well-being is important to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

            Call me on 02 4050 0330 or email [email protected]

    • What to Expect
          • What to expect

            We are your law firm for life. You can count on us for the best legal advice and compassionate support. We understand the challenges you are facing and we want you to know that you don’t have to navigate the often daunting process alone. We are here when you need us. Let us help you find your way forward with our empathetic and efficient approach. Contact us. You can call us on (02) 4050 0330 for a free initial no-obligation consultation or book an appointment online for an in-person consultation or an online video appointment.

  • No Win/No Fee Options

Jumping Castle Tragedy

Trigger warning: This item contains explicit references to subject matter and material that may be traumatising or upsetting. Reader discretion is advised.

Our hearts reach out to the families involved, the school and the entire community of Devonport after the devastating accident last week resulting in the death of 6 children and the serious injury to 3 others. Whist the physical injuries will stay with the victims for ever, the psychological impact on witnesses, fellow students, teachers and first responders will echo in the community for a very long time.

We have spoken with Julie Amour, an expert in work, health and safety often used by our firm to support our clients in similar cases. Julie has given her informed view of the history of risk associated with inflatable amusement devices and the issues which will need to be worked through to get to the bottom of what happened and the various recommendations at a Coronial level which will need to be made to ensure something like this does not happen again in a state-run educational facility.

“There have been Australian standards related to General amusement device design manufacture, operation & maintenance since the 1990s which have been used in conjunction with state-based regulation for amusement devices. The aim of these standards is to protect against these types of incidents when they involve a commercial operation or for commercial purposes but more recently many organisations have purchased such devices to use privately.

 Land borne inflatable devices such as the jumping castles have their own specific Australian standards since 2005 which were updated in 2018. These specifically cover requirements for anchorage with example of calculations of required anchorage. The anchorage system should be considered in its entirety (i.e. ground conditions, stake, rope, rope angle, connections, attachment to inflatable and, number and placement of the anchorages).  The manufacturers of each specific device will also provide information related to risks of the specific device. These also would include the types of surfaces they should be used on and weather conditions they can be used in. They also stipulate anchorage requirements for normal use and the conditions which would preclude or require use to cease i.e. wind gusts over 40 km/hr or above the manufacturer’s guidelines. Some inflatables do require registration but this is based on if it is for commercial use, the height of the jumping platform above the ground and whether they are continuously blown or inflated (i.e. require a continuous supply of air pressure to maintain shape).

Having said that, although these devices are used every frequently in Australia for many different types of events their use has not been without risk. There have been previous fatalities related to inadequate anchorage both in Australia & also throughout the world. There have been many incidents related to use of these devices with some of these related to inadequate anchorage of the device. In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 18800 injuries in 2012 as a result of such inflatables. Also in the US, there have been incidents in New York in 2014 where two boys were injured after falling 6 m & in Fort Lauderdale where 3 children were injured as result of the wind lifting the inflatables. In the latter example it was actually a tornado with 3 children inside. Although dramatic, mostly injuries do not occur from anchorage related issues but from children falling inside the castles and fracturing arms or legs when colliding with other children.

 It has been suggested in the US that half of all injuries occur in commercial inflatables as opposed to those owned and used privately at home. This increase in injuries was found in a US Paediatric study from 1990-2010 to have similarities to the increase in injuries seen in trampoline related injuries in the same period in children. It was suggested that when compared with other types of injuries rates to trampolines or playground equipment that the numbers of annual injuries were much less. It has been indicated that the use of these devices in homes or even when purchased and used by organisations rather than hiring them to be set up &/or operated by third parties has contributed to higher rates of injuries as the devices involved often don’t meet and are not operated in line with required standards. An example of this was in 2017 when a child was injured in Queensland when a jumping castle became airborne. A sudden gust of wind lifted the front of the device whilst it was secured at the back to a fence. It had been set up incorrectly on netball court and only secured on one side.

A similar incident occurred in Qld in 2016 when a three-year-old fell to the ground when an inflatable device was blown into the air. In the 4-5 years prior to these incidents Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) had been notified of 12 incidents involving inflatable amusement devices, 10 of which resulted in serious injury requiring hospitalisation or treatment. Types of injuries sustained include broken legs, lacerations, dislocations, twisted ankles and backs, and electric shock. So there are some risks but is depends how the device was set up and operated as to its level of safety. This is something the investigators will need to determine in the current Tasmanian case.”

The circumstances in this case are unknown so it is important to allow the investigators the time needed to thoroughly determine how this tragedy occurred so it can be better prevented in the future.

Recent Articles

Stay Updated With Legal News
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.