Opinion ID: 885241
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did the District Court properly grant the Steiners' motion for a directed verdict?

Text: ถ 116 Pursuant to our standard of review, we consider only the evidence introduced by the party against whom the directed verdict is granted. If that evidence, when viewed in a light most favorable to the party, tends to establish the case made by the party's pleading, we will reverse the directed verdict. ถ 117 Here, Larson-Murphy's theory for recovery is that the Steiners were negligent. This theory can be summarized as follows: (1) at some point in the chain of events leading up to the collision of Larson-Murphy's vehicle with the Steiners' bull on May 8, 1993, the Steiners โ as well as Zancanella โ owed a legal duty to motorists on Hoskin Road to prevent in some manner the bull from obstructing the county highway; (2) the Defendants breached this duty when their conduct fell below a recognized standard of care under the circumstances; (3) this breach of a legal duty caused the accident; and (4) as a result, Larson-Murphy was damaged. See generally Nehring, 219 Mont. at 469, 712 P.2d at 1334. ถ 118 Thus, potentially, if the Steiners acted unreasonably in failing to guard against the risk that their bull could obstruct and interfere with Larson-Murphy's lawful use of Hoskin Road, they may be liable for negligence. We conclude that Larson-Murphy presented sufficient evidence at trial that the Steiners' bull unlawfully obstructed Hoskin Road and caused the accident resulting in her damages, and that its escape arguably resulted from a lack of reasonable care by its owners. ถ 119 Clearly, therefore, reasonable persons could draw different conclusions from the evidence concerning whether the Steiners' standard of care was reasonable under the circumstances. The trier of fact should have been permitted to make this ultimate determination, and, accordingly, the directed verdict in favor of the Steiners is reversed. ถ 120 Therefore, this action is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. W. WILLIAM LEAPHART, J. and JOHN C. McKEON, District Judge, sitting for Justice Jim REGNIER, concur.