High Court Orders Jump Trampoline Park To Pay US$1.6 Million To Gymnast After Devastating Accident

“Value Of Human Life Is Priceless”: Judge Awards Paralysed Gymnast Record US$1.6 Million As Jump Trampoline Park Appeals

The High Court has ordered Jump Trampoline Park to pay a crippling US$1.6 million (approximately R29.6 million) to a young gymnast left unable to move or speak properly after a catastrophic accident at the Pomona theme park, in what legal experts are calling Zimbabwe’s largest ever personal injury payout.

Rebecca Nezuru Conlon, a promising gymnast who was preparing for international competition, has been left in a near vegetative state after breaking her neck and fracturing her spinal cord while jumping at the facility on January 6, 2023. Two years of legal battles culminated in a landmark judgment on January 23, 2026, delivered by Justice Siyabona Paul Musithu of the Harare High Court.

But the family’s victory is now under threat. On February 12, 2026, Jump Trampoline Park filed a notice of appeal, challenging both the finding of negligence and the eye-watering quantum of damages.

‘Shattered In A Flash’ – Judge Slams Park Over Ruined Life

Justice Musithu did not hold back in his scathing assessment of the park’s failures, finding that staff had watched dangerous behaviour unfold but did nothing to stop it.

“The defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff to act positively and reasonably to prevent physical harm that was reasonably foreseeable,” the judge ruled.

The court heard that Jump Trampoline Park was frequented mostly by minor children and presented a “potentially hazardous environment.” Justice Musithu added that extra supervision was necessary because children are prone to “unpredictable and erratic bouts of behaviour.”

The judge described Conlon’s destroyed future in devastating terms.

“All the dreams that she harboured for the future were shattered in a flash. The accident left the plaintiff in a near vegetative state… she has no use of her limbs.”

Medical evidence presented to the court confirmed that Conlon, who sought treatment in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, remains permanently paralysed and requires lifelong specialised care and constant monitoring.

‘Money Cannot Replace A Physical Frame’ – Record Payout Broken Down

While Conlon’s legal team, led by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, had initially sought US$6.37 million (approximately R118 million) in damages under Aquilian action, the court awarded US$1,607,939 (approximately R29.8 million).

The breakdown of damages includes:

US$300,000 (R5.55 million) – Pain and suffering
US$200,000 (R3.7 million) – Loss of current and future amenities
US$200,000 (R3.7 million) – Shortened expectation of life
US$80,000 (R1.48 million) – Disfigurement
US$180,000 (R3.33 million) – Loss of professional earnings
US$150,000 (R2.78 million) – Loss of earning capacity
US$170,000 (R3.15 million) – Current medical and hospital expenses
US$327,939 (R6.07 million) – Future medical and hospital expenses

Justice Musithu acknowledged the near-impossible task of placing a monetary value on a destroyed life.

“It must be recognised that translating personal injuries into money is equating the incommensurable; money cannot replace a physical frame that has been permanently injured,” he said.

Despite Zimbabwe’s historically conservative approach to damages, the judge insisted that precedent should not stand in the way of justice.

“It is not entirely correct that the court cannot make an award which differs significantly from what courts have awarded in the past… The value of human life is priceless.”

‘We Are Appealing’ – Theme Park Fights Back

Jump Trampoline Park, represented by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, had denied negligence throughout the trial. The park attempted to rely on indemnity clauses signed by users, but the court found these did not shield the facility from liability for its own negligence.

According to TheNewsHawks, Zhuwarara has now filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle that could define catastrophic injury claims in Zimbabwe for decades.