Popejoy v. Steinle

Wyoming Supreme Court

820 P.2d 545 (Wyo. 1991)

Relevant factsFree

While driving to buy a calf that would belong solely to her daughter (who would keep any resulting profits), Connie Steinle negligently crashed into Ronald Popejoy (plaintiff), killing herself and injuring him; after Connie's husband William later died of unrelated causes, Popejoy sued William's estate (defendant), arguing the couple was engaged in a joint business enterprise for their ranch when Connie caused the accident. The trial court granted summary judgment for William's estate.

IssueFree

Whether picking up a calf for a ranch owner's daughter's sole use and profit is a joint enterprise of the ranch owners.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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