Parish v. JumpKing, Inc.
Iowa Supreme Court
719 N.W.2d 540 (2006)
Parish was paralyzed attempting a back somersault on a trampoline equipped with a "fun ring" mesh fence, and sued for design defect and failure to warn, conceding he could not identify any specific alternative design but arguing the product was inherently too dangerous to require one, despite prominent warnings on the trampoline and fun ring explicitly stating that paralysis or death could result even from landing in the mat's center.
Whether, in Iowa, to survive summary judgment in a product design defect and failure to provide adequate warnings action, a plaintiff must show that the foreseeable risks of harm posed by the product could have been reduced through an alternative design and the provision of reasonable warnings, along with evidence of an effective alternative product design and lack of ample warnings.