Woman sues Las Vegas bar over injuries from mechanical bull-style ride
Amber Zabran of Illinois has sued The Nerd bar in downtown Las Vegas, saying she was thrown from its novelty mechanical bull ride and injured. The bar's response has not been reported.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Amber Zabran, from Illinois, has sued The Nerd, a bar at the Neonopolis on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, saying she was injured after being thrown from a novelty mechanical ride. The IndependentLC “Amber Zabran, from Illinois, filed the lawsuit last week in Clark County, Nevada, court, according to KLAS.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “An Illinois woman is suing a Las Vegas bar claiming that she was hurt during a ride on its” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The ride, billed as the "World Famous Gyrating Johnson Mechanical Member Bull", is shaped like male genitals and works like a mechanical bull, with riders trying to stay on. The IndependentLC “The ride is shaped like male genitals and operates like a mechanical bull, with the rider trying to stay on without falling off.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “The point, of course, is to stay on the ride as long as you can while the operator tries to get you to fall off.” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The complaint, filed last week in Clark County District Court, says her foot or ankle got caught under the main shaft area of the ride, where there is a large cut-out section. Fox NewsR “her foot and/or ankle got caught under the main shaft area of the ride where there is a large cut-out section.” Read at Fox News ↗ The IndependentLC “her foot or ankle got caught under a large cut-out section and was injured.” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2She says she and her friends were not asked to sign waivers before getting on, and, according to the Independent's account of KLAS's report, that staff made the ride harder as it went on. The IndependentLC “weren’t asked to sign waivers before getting on the ride, according to KLAS. She added that staff wanted to make the ride more difficult as the ride continued.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “According to the lawsuit, Zabran and her friends were never asked to sign waivers before hopping on.” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The lawsuit describes "great pain of body and mind, including serious and painful physical injuries" and mental stress and anxiety. The Independent reports that some injuries may be permanent. Fox News says the incident happened on Nov. 22, 2025. The IndependentLC “Some of her injuries may be permanent, according to the report” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “the alleged incident took place on Nov. 22, 2025” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2She seeks medical costs and other damages. The Independent, citing KLAS, says the total exceeds $15,000 with no specific figure stated. Fox News, citing 8 News Now, says she also seeks special and actual damages and attorney's fees. The IndependentLC “totaling more than $15,000 - but no specific figure was stated” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “the lawsuit is seeking special and actual damages and medical expenses. It's also asking for attorney's fees.” Read at Fox News ↗
Left · 1The Independent said it had contacted the bar for comment. Neither article reports a response, and the allegations are unproven. The IndependentLC “The Independent has reached out to The Nerd at the Neonopolis for comment.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A short, fairly straight news item on the lawsuit, citing KLAS, with a mildly wry headline.
- Emphasis
- Injury details, possible permanent harm, the waiver claim and the $15,000 figure.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the date of the incident.
- Charged language
- “mechanical genitals ride”
- For example
-
“Some of her injuries may be permanent, according to the report” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- An Outkick culture piece that mocks the ride's name and adds jokes and commentary around the lawsuit, citing 8 News Now.
- Emphasis
- The ride's name and the humour, plus the incident date and the attorney's fees request.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not say injuries may be permanent, does not give the $15,000 figure, and does not say the bar was contacted.
- Charged language
- “nothing more than a mechanical penis”“all fun and games until you're contacting a lawyer”
- For example
-
“A ride on a mechanical penis is all fun and games until you're contacting a lawyer” — Fox News
What every side reports
- Amber Zabran of Illinois filed a lawsuit in Clark County, Nevada, against The Nerd bar in downtown Las Vegas.
- She says she was thrown from the mechanical bull-style ride and her foot or ankle was caught under a cut-out section.
- She says she and her friends were not asked to sign waivers.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether the ride was made harder during her turn
- Left
- The Independent reports her claim that staff wanted to make the ride more difficult as it continued.
- Right
- Fox News says only that the operator tries to get riders to fall off, and does not mention the claim about her ride.
Amber Zabran person
Says she was thrown from the ride, injured her foot or ankle, was not asked to sign a waiver, and is seeking damages.
“her foot and/or ankle got caught under the main shaft area of the ride where there is a large cut-out section.” — Fox News
Left1 article
-
Woman claims she was tossed from mechanical genitals ride in Las Vegas bar and hurt
Neutral Reports the suit and allegations with attribution to KLAS and seeks the bar's comment.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Dismissive Treats the suit as a joke with sarcastic commentary on the ride and the claim.
- 4 Oct 19:01 First The IndependentLC Woman claims she was tossed from mechanical genitals ride in Las Vegas bar and hurt
- 5 Oct 22:08 +27h 7m Fox NewsR Woman sues Las Vegas bar claiming she was injured on 'World Famous Gyrating Johnson Mechanical Member Bull'
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.