A man who visited the Cadillac Ranch Restaurant in Southington in 2013 is suing the establishment, saying he fell from a mechanical bull and suffered “painful, permanent, serious injuries,” according to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 12.
The manage of the facility, however, says the bull is safe and the person who filed the suit left on his own and never reported that he was injured.
According to the suit, Steven M. Saleski went to Cadillac Ranch on July 6, 2013 and paid to ride a mechanical bull called “Old Thunder.” Saleski was thrown from the bull and hit his head, causing severe neck pain, displaced fractures of two vertebrae and injury to his vertebral artery.
The lawsuit alleges that the bull was positioned up against a wall and that Cadillac Ranch should have known the placement was dangerous. The restaurant “failed to adequately pad the landing area adjacent to the mechanical bull to prevent foreseeable injuries,” according to the lawsuit.
Cadillac Ranch manager Graham Nicholson said they've had the mechanical bull for seven years, there's an air mattress around it, and they have never had reports of anyone being injured.
“It’s virtually impossible to get hurt on,” Nicholson said. ”In the seven years we’ve had it, there’s never been an accident.”
The suit claims that Cadillac Ranch did not warn patrons about the hazards of riding the bull, neglected to properly train mechanical bull operators and did not take necessary safety precautions.
According to the lawsuit, Saleski has required ongoing medical treatment that has dealt him a financial blow. He’s seeking unspecified monetary damages.
Meadow Muffins LLC, the company that operates Cadillac Ranch, filed a motion on Feb. 3 asking the court for more time to respond to Saleski’s lawsuit. According to the motion, the defendant “needs additional time to investigate the allegations” and is asking for a plea deadline of April 3.
Nicholson said everyone who rides the mechanical bull signs a waiver and the restaurant has presented a signed statement that Saleski signed it.
