A trampoline park worker who was left housebound and in “hell” after jumping into a foam pit has won a huge five-figure payout.
Natalee Smith, 34, suffered a serious back injury during her training day at the Better Newquay Trampoline and Play Park in Cornwall.
The mother of three says she swelled to a size 20 after the accident, but has since lost weight and sued her former employer.
Mrs Smith took her bosses to court after seriously damaging her back jumping into the foam pit.
After jumping into a foam-filled pit, she heard a “crack” in her back that was so painful it left her “breathless.”
Doctors later diagnosed a bulging disc in his spine and nerve damage.
Her injury left her confined to the house for months and the pills she was prescribed prevented her from staying fit and active, so she gained weight from a skinny size 12 to a size 20.
Mrs Smith sued her former employers over her injury and after a five-year legal battle won her negligence claim in July at Truro Combined Court.
Natalee Smith, 34, suffered a serious back injury during her training day at the Better Newquay Trampoline and Play Park in Cornwall. In the photo: Natalee Smith in the hospital.
Natalee Smith was diagnosed with a bulging disc in her spine and nerve damage. Here he appears in the photo with his crutch.
Mrs Smith said: ‘As a woman it has been difficult to accept. This injury took all the enjoyment out of my life. My kids have even said I’m not funny anymore.” Pictured: Natalee with kids Adem, Arun and Evie.
She has since banned her children from visiting trampoline parks and is urging other parents to do the same.
Mrs Smith, who now cannot walk long distances without sitting down, blasted: “This has been hell.” My life has changed one hundred percent.
‘I gained weight because I couldn’t do any of the things I used to do. It’s terrible.
‘As a woman it has been difficult to accept. This injury took all the enjoyment out of my life. My kids have even said I’m not funny anymore.
‘I’ve almost gotten used to the pain, but now living life as an older person in a young body, it’s just not fair.
‘I’m glad that the judge considered that well dangerous. “If it can happen to one staff member, it can happen to anyone.”
Mrs Smith was excited to return to work after taking an eight-year break from her career to raise her children, Adem, Arun and Evie, when the accident occurred.
He joined staff at the new Newquay Park for a training day in the summer of 2019 and, after a few hours of initiation, they were told to try out the attractions before it opened to the public.
Mrs Smith said: “I didn’t want to go on a trampoline because I knew it could be dangerous, so I jumped into a foam pit from a platform.” “It was my worst decision.”
As soon as he jumped, following the instructions provided, he felt his back hit the bottom.
The mother of three says she swelled to a size 20 after the accident, but has since lost weight and sued her former employer.
‘I couldn’t do anything. My husband Jim had to do everything and take care of me like I was a little girl. “It was so degrading.”
She said: ‘I felt very hard like I had hit concrete. The pain was very intense.
He later went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a bulging disc, nerve root entrapment and damage to the soft tissues of the spine.
Mrs Smith added: “I didn’t realize the severity of my injury until a couple of weeks later when the pain didn’t improve and became much more intense.
‘I couldn’t do anything. My husband Jim had to do everything and take care of me like I was a little girl. “It was so degrading.”
He spent the next year recovering at home with a physical therapist and walking with a crutch and was told the devastating news by specialists that his back pain and symptoms would likely last a lifetime.
Mrs Smith, from St Austell, Cornwall, added: “I burst into tears because I had been so active.”
Now unable to exercise, she piled on the weight until she reached a size 20.
She added: “Gaining weight really depressed me because I was always busy being a mother and staying fit.”
‘I enjoyed going for walks and going outside, but that all changed when I had my accident.
‘Suddenly I couldn’t stay fit or move like I used to and that, combined with the pills, caused me to gain a lot of weight.
‘I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with mom guilt because I’ve missed out on years of making memories with my children.
“I haven’t been able to do normal things as a parent, like hug my kids, run on the beach or play in the park.”
But she was determined not to give up and took legal action against her former company with Express Solicitors, specialists in trampoline injuries.
The park denied liability but in a four-day trial at Truro Combined Court the judge found they were responsible for his devastating injuries.
She won an undisclosed five-figure settlement.
Appointed civil judge Paul Mitchell, presiding over Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, ruled the equipment was defective, despite meeting trampoline park construction guidelines at the time.
He discovered that the foam used under the pit was too hard and that there was not enough space between the trampoline bed and the floor to absorb the impact of the jump.
Mrs Smith, who has since slimmed down to a size 16 with a dietician, a change of pills and private medical treatment, added: “It wasn’t about money, it was about safety.”
‘They said it was impossible for the accident to happen as I said.
‘I started to doubt myself, but when we visited the site with my lawyer and expert, we proved that it happened as I said.
“I’m still in pain and I can’t do a lot of things I used to do and I’m afraid of hurting my back, but I beat them in court after my years of hell.”
She is using her compensation to fund further private medical treatment for her current injuries.
His solicitor Adam Farrell of Express Solicitors said: “This case highlights the inherent dangers of trampoline parks.
“We fought for years to win this case and we hope trampoline park providers will now improve their standards to protect staff and customers.”
Greenwich Leisure Limited, which operates the trampoline park, said in a statement: “We can confirm that Natalee Smith suffered an injury jumping into a foam pit at Newquay Trampoline Park and we continue to wish her the best for the future.”
‘Newquay Trampoline Park opened in 2019 in line with industry standards at the time.
“Health and safety remains our number one priority and we continue to review and develop our trampoline park product to ensure compliance with current best practices.”