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Nearly two years after a deadly bleacher collapse at the Kendall County Fairgrounds in Boerne, two people injured in the incident have settled their lawsuit against the fair association and several other defendants.
A notice filed May 4 in Kendall County district court states that plaintiffs Lindsay Ward and Garret Daley resolved claims against the Kendall County Fair Association, association president Shane Boerner, SB Farms, SB Equipment and Welding, Hill-Tex Construction Inc. and Cent-Tex Quality Transport LLC. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The collapse happened Aug. 31, 2024, during a rodeo event at the Kendall County Fairgrounds. A section of bleachers filled with spectators gave way, killing 79-year-old Vera Asher Smith and injuring at least 11 others.
Ward and Daley’s lawsuit alleged the defendants failed to ensure the bleachers were safely constructed and maintained. The plaintiffs said they were trapped beneath metal debris after the structure collapsed and suffered serious injuries.
Multiple lawsuits were filed after the collapse, with plaintiffs alleging the bleachers were improperly constructed, inspected or maintained. One lawsuit alleged the fair association failed to properly inspect, maintain or repair the bleachers and argued those failures constituted gross negligence.
A City of Boerne investigation released in 2025 found the bleachers had not received required inspections after construction work was completed. City officials also said welding work on the structure continued as late as the day before the collapse.
Several lawsuits connected to the collapse remain active, including claims tied to the estate or family members of Vera Asher Smith, the woman who died after the collapse.
