Court Opinion

ID: 9567552
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:55:19.381323+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:00:40.139754
License: Public Domain

McINTYRE, Justice
(concurring).
I have been unable to put my finger on any evidence in this case which would justify the giving of an instruction on contributory negligence. Nevertheless, I concur in the result reached because it seems to me a prima facie case of gross negligence was not made out against the defendant.
We have established with some certainty the definition of gross negligence in this jurisdiction as “indifference to present legal duty and utter forgetfulness of legal obligations.” See Altergott v. Story, Wyo., 388 P.2d 196, 198.
Hence, in the Altergott case we said the mere fact of falling asleep while driving does not constitute gross negligence within the meaning of the guest statute. Also, in Moore v. Kondziela, Wyo., 405 P.2d 788, 791, we said excessive speed alone does not constitute gross negligence within the meaning of the guest statute: and we indi*607cated it would be necessary to show how speed could constitute gross negligence without it and surrounding circumstances making it appear probable an accident would result.
No doubt there was evidence of negligence in the case at hand. There was, however, no indication that speed was so excessive as to make it appear probable an accident would result; and there was nothing in the evidence to indicate an indifference to present legal duty or utter forgetfulness of legal obligations on the part of the driver. Under these circumstances, reasonable minds could not have drawn different conclusions from the evidence and there was no prima facie showing of gross negligence.