Lawsuits filed by two individuals who reported being injured in the August 2024 bleacher collapse at the Kendall County Fairgrounds have been settled, according to reports.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Legal action by plaintiffs Garret Daley and Lindsay Ward state they were on the grandstand Aug. 31, 2024, watching a rodeo when the structure collapsed, sending dozens of spectators to the ground.
Vera Smith, 79, died six days later of her injuries. About 100 people were in the section that was affected, officials said.
The plaintiffs said they suffered serious injuries when the structure fell, trapping them beneath the debris.
The legal action sought compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and asked for punitive damages.
Ward and Daley’s lawsuit alleged the defendants — including the Kendall County Fair Association, its president Shane Boerner, his firms SB Farms and SB Equipment and Welding, Hill-Tex Construction Inc. and Cent-Tex Quality Transport LLC — “failed to ensure the bleachers were safely constructed and maintained” prior to their use.
Several other lawsuits remain, including one filed by members of Smith’s family.
No criminal charges surfaced following the incident.
The Kendall County District Attorney’s Office in March 2025 said there was “insufficient evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt” after prosecutors “evaluated the ability to meet the burden of proof.”
The city of Boerne found the KCFA failed to secure necessary permits before constructing a new bleacher seating area, work that continued up to the day before the event. City officials also said it was not inspected by the Boerne Fire Marshal’s Office prior to the rodeo.
According to earlier reports, the city commissioned a structural engineer who determined an improperly welded support beam led to the mishap.
A story in the Jan. 19, 2025, Star noted a statement from the city that said, “The bleachers ‘were an old structure that was salvaged, and the new structure was made to house eight VIP sections, the bar and a common walkway. Additionally, welding work on the bleacher structure was still occurring up to the day before the event.’”
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