Beckwith v. Weber

These consolidated appeals arose from a judgment on jury verdict in a case involving personal injuries suffered by Appellant Marcia Beckwith. Beckwith fell from a horse while on a trail ride operated by the Gros Ventre River Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The jury found that Beckwith's injuries were the result of an inherent risk of horseback riding as defined by the Wyoming Recreation Safety Act, and she therefore recovered no damages for her injuries. In one appeal, Beckwith claimed the district court erred in failing to instruct the jury as she requested. In the other appeal, Beckwith claimed the district court erred in awarding costs to Appellees, the ranch and the ranch's owners, due to her indigence. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the district court properly instructed the jury as to Appellant's claims, and also provided an appropriate form of special verdict for the jury's use; and (2) the award of costs the district court made was not an abuse of discretion. View "Beckwith v. Weber" on Justia Law