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William SLADE and Diane Slade husband and wife as the parents and sole surviving heirs of Scott Slade deceased and William Slade as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Scott Slade deceased Plaintiffs-Appellants
vs.
SMITH'S MANAGEMENT CORPORATION a Utah corporation Smith's Employees Association an unincorporated group and Does 1-100 Donald Westfall and Jane Doe Westfall husband and wife as individuals and as presumptive co-owners of the vehicle driven by Donald Westfall; and Does 1-100 Defendants-Respondents. and Smith's Food King Properties Inc. a Utah corporation Defendants
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Issues:
Alcohol, post-accident testing, employer liability.
Case Summary:
William and Diane Slade appeal a lower court's ruling in their suit against the employer of a driver who struck and killed their son following a company-sponsored party. Scott Slade suffered fatal injuries when he was hit by truck driven by Donald Westfall, an employee of the Smith Management Corporation. Westfall had just left a company-sponsored party where free alcohol was provided to the guests. The Slades filed suit against several parties, including Westfall and his employer.
Decision of lower jurisdiction:
A district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants. The court ruled that an unlicensed vendor could not be held accountable for the damages caused by an intoxicated third party. The Slades now appeal.
Outcome:
The Slades win. The Idaho Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the district court and remanded the case to the lower jurisdiction for additional review. The ruled the Slades should have an opportunity to present their case to a jury.