LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two months after House of Boom was ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars to a Louisville man, the case has been settled.
Meanwhile, injuries from trampolines are causing a jump in cases for doctors in the Louisville area. Norton Children's Orthopedics of Louisville treats trampoline injuries daily. Recently Dr. Josh Meier referred to an X-ray as he explained a knee injury he treated.
"The kneecap is out of position," Meier said. "The entire knee is dislocated. This was a trampoline injury."
When talking about trampoline parks, Meier says, "I don't recommend it. There's no way to really make it a lot safer."
He says it can be a difficult conversation to have with parents.
When asked why trampoline parks are more dangerous than backyard trampolines, Meier says, "Having been to a few of them, I think the number of trampolines and the number of kids -- and sometimes adults -- on them definitely plays a role."
In April, a Louisville man won a lawsuit against House of Boom. A Jefferson Circuit Court jury awarded Andrew Followell nearly $500,000 in damages. Followell filed his civil lawsuit after saying he hurt his back at the trampoline park in January 2016.
To this day Followell says, "It gives me anxiety, and it's frustrating to do things and I can't. Just mundane things, like trying to do the dishes, is sometimes an obstacle."
On the day he was injured, surveillance video shows Followell crawling across the floor after being injured. Followell says he jumped off a ledge onto a trampoline, bounced one time in the air and hit one of two punching bags that were hanging from House of Boom's ceiling.
An attorneys for House of Boom questioned Followell about parts of the footage, asking: "When you went over to the ledge with two punching bags what were you intending to do sir?"
Followell replies: "I was going to jump off the ledge onto the trampoline."
It was during an event at "Club Boom." Normal lighting in the facility was dimmed, but there were strobe lights, black lights and flashing lights. After jumping from the ledge, Followell says he fell on padded metal, injuring his back.
The 28-year-old has seen numerous doctors since then. "They gave me a back brace," he said.
While the jury ruled in Followell's favor in April, House of Boom wasn't jumping to pay. Court documents show House of Boom filed a motion to have the verdict overturned or for a new trial. CircusTrix, the parent company of House of Boom says it's not commenting.
The case was scheduled to go back to court this week, but the hearing was canceled. Court documents say "a full settlement agreement between the parties has been reached."
Just how much money will be paid to Followell hasn't been released.
WDRB found six other lawsuits against Louisville's House of Boom since 2015.
Some have been dismissed, others are pending. Shaun Elton says he's now paralyzed after jumping in the foam pit in January 2017. He was there with his children and friends to celebrate a birthday party. He did not sign the participation agreement.
Other lawsuits cite injuries from House of Boom, with one attorney saying one child's injuries included a broken ankle.
Meier says, "I think the safest ways you can be on a trampoline are by yourself, nobody double bouncing. Multiple people on a trampoline has been shown to increase the risk of injury which is difficult to do at a trampoline park."
For Folllowell, he's not sure what the future holds with his back injuries.
He says he's already missed out on family time because of the pain. He says, "If I decide to start a family, am I going to be able to play with my kids?"
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