A Jackson County jury awarded $16 million to John and Hilary Lockhart in a premises liability lawsuit connected to an incident at PBR Big Sky Bar in Kansas City, Missouri. The verdict was returned on Aug. 4, 2026, in Jackson County Circuit Court, with Judge Marty Seaton presiding. John Lockhart alleged that he sustained an open-book pelvic injury after falling from a mechanical bull at the bar, located in Kansas City’s Power & Light District, on Jan. 30, 2022. He claimed that the machine’s lack of a seat or saddle contributed to his fall and injury. The defendants denied liability. According to the report, they maintained that John Lockhart was hurt in other falls that evening and disputed whether the mechanical bull could have produced enough biomechanical force to cause the claimed injury. The jury allocated $15 million to John Lockhart’s personal injury claim and $1 million to Hilary Lockhart’s loss of consortium claim. What Makes This Incident Different Mechanical-bull cases can involve issues that differ from ordinary slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall claims. These machines are intended to move in unpredictable ways, and a rider’s position, the equipment’s design, and the setting in which the activity is offered may all become important to understanding what occurred. Here, the reported dispute centered not only on the alleged fall from the machine, but also on causation. John Lockhart alleged that the absence of a seat or saddle contributed to the incident. The defense, meanwhile, contested whether the machine caused the injury and pointed to other falls reported that evening. Those competing positions show why the available evidence, rather than assumptions, matters in a mechanical-bull injury claim. The reported injury also required surgery involving hardware and pins, according to the article. When an injury has continuing medical and household-care consequences, the financial issues in a case may extend beyond immediate treatment. Questions Investigators May Examine Investigators may examine conditional questions such as: - Whether the mechanical bull’s configuration, including the presence or absence of a seat or saddle, may help clarify the rider’s position and the fall. - Whether the machine’s operation, movement settings, or condition may be documented in records or video. - Whether staff instructions, rider warnings, waivers, or supervision may help establish what information was provided before the ride. - Whether accounts of any other falls that evening may clarify the disputed sequence of events. - Whether medical records and qualified medical or biomechanical analysis may help determine how and when the injury occurred. These are not conclusions about what caused the injury or who may be legally responsible. The evidence will determine whether any condition, operation, warning, or event was relevant. Evidence That May Need to Be Preserved After an injury involving amusement-style equipment at a business, early preservation can be important. Depending on the circumstances, relevant materials may include: - Video from the venue showing the ride area, the incident, or events before and after it. - Photographs of the mechanical bull, its seating area, padding, controls, and surrounding floor. - The machine itself and records concerning its ownership, inspection, maintenance, repairs, or adjustments. - Ride-operation logs, employee schedules, training materials, and written operating procedures, if maintained. - Any waivers, signs, rider instructions, or warning materials provided at the venue. - Statements and contact information from people who saw the incident or other falls that evening. - Ambulance, emergency, hospital, surgical, rehabilitation, and follow-up medical records. - Documentation of work limitations, home-care needs, and other effects of the injury. A written request to preserve potentially relevant evidence may help prevent accidental loss or overwriting of materials, particularly video footage and electronic records. What Families Should Know A serious pelvic injury can affect far more than an initial hospital visit. Families may be managing surgery, follow-up treatment, mobility limitations, time away from work, and changes in household responsibilities. A spouse’s claim for loss of consortium, as reported in this case, concerns the effects an injury may have on a marital relationship. In Missouri, the details of an injury claim can matter greatly, including the nature of the event, the available proof, the parties involved, insurance coverage, and the timing of a claim. Legal deadlines can apply, and they may differ depending on the type of claim and the circumstances. Waiting can also make it harder to obtain video, witness recollections, and equipment-related records. Families do not need to resolve disputed causation questions on their own. They can keep records of medical care and expenses, avoid signing documents they do not understand, and seek a legal evaluation tailored to the facts of the incident. How Dunk Law Can Help Dunk Law can evaluate a Missouri premises liability matter involving a serious injury at a bar, entertainment venue, or business. Our team can help identify evidence that may need prompt preservation, review the role of insurance coverage, and work with appropriate professionals when medical causation or equipment operation is disputed. If you or a family member suffered a serious injury in a mechanical-bull or venue-related incident, contact Dunk Law to discuss the specific circumstances and available options. Related Dunk Law Resources - All practice areas This post is based on publicly available news reports and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice.