Popejoy v. Steinle
Wyoming Supreme Court
820 P.2d 545 (1991)

- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
The Steinles owned a ranch and Connie Steinle drove her daughter to Douglas, Wyoming to purchase a calf for the daughter. When given calves previously, the daughter raised them on her own and the proceeds from any sale of previously owned calves were solely the daughter’s to keep. On the way to Douglas, Connie negligently ran into Ronald Popejoy’s vehicle. The crash killed Connie and left Popejoy (plaintiff) with minor injuries. Subsequent to the accident, Connie’s husband, William, died of unrelated causes. About 15 months after the accident, however, Popejoy started experiencing severe lingering neck and back and pain and was forced to undergo multiple surgeries. Popejoy was not able to reopen Connie’s estate, so he brought suit against William’s estate (defendant), claiming that William and Connie were securing a business asset for their ranch and thus engaged in a joint enterprise when Connie was driving to pick up the calf for their daughter. The trial court granted William’s estate’s motion for summary judgment. Popejoy appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Golden, J.)
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