An Illinois woman is suing a Fremont Street bar and its co-owner, alleging a mechanical penis ride sped up without warning, trapped her ankle and threw her from the seat late last year. Amber Zabran says she paid to ride the attraction at The Nerd near closing time and was never asked to sign a waiver before climbing on.
Zabran filed the lawsuit against The Nerd, co-owner Jonathan Borchetta and other unnamed parties in Clark County District Court, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The filing says the injury happened on a bull ride-like attraction at the bar, which sits inside the Neonopolis shopping center on Fremont Street. Zabran, who lives in Illinois, visited The Nerd with friends on Nov. 22, 2025, near closing, the lawsuit states.
Ride Allegedly Sped Up Without Warning
According to the complaint, a Nerd employee operated the ride using a joystick and control panel. The lawsuit says it started out moving slowly in a circle before it began to speed up, making it harder for Zabran to stay seated.
As the ride accelerated, the lawsuit alleges Zabran's ankle became caught under the main area of the attraction before she was thrown from the seat. The complaint states she sustained injuries to her body and mind as a result.
Negligence Claims and a Jury Trial Sought
The lawsuit asserts negligence, vicarious liability, negligent hiring, negligent retention and negligent supervision claims against The Nerd and Borchetta. It also raises a res ipsa loquitur claim, a legal doctrine that allows plaintiffs to rely on circumstantial evidence to meet their burden of proof, per the same account.
The complaint alleges that the ride's operator and bar management should have warned riders about the danger and risk of injury, and should have disclosed that the ride was faulty or posed a risk of harm. Zabran is seeking past and future medical expenses, wage loss and other general damages, and the complaint requests a jury trial. The Nerd did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the outlet reported.
What Nevada Law Says About Amusement Rides
Nevada law, under NRS Chapter 455B, defines an amusement ride as a mechanical or aquatic device that carries passengers over a fixed or restricted route primarily for amusement, though the evidence in this case does not establish whether the attraction at The Nerd legally falls under that definition. The statute requires operators to take all measures reasonably necessary to ensure passenger safety in constructing, maintaining, operating and supervising a ride, and it directs operators to prominently post signs near embarkation points telling unfamiliar riders to ask an authorized employee for assistance and instruction.
The law also places responsibilities on passengers themselves, requiring them to heed posted warnings or instructions from an authorized employee and to conduct themselves in a way that avoids injury to themselves or others. Importantly, passengers age 13 or older are deemed to assume only the inherent risks of a ride that would be open and obvious to a reasonable person, not every possible risk.
