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Gorton v. Doty Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A car owner was held liable for a driver’s negligence because the driver, a football coach, was deemed her agent when he drove her car to transport the team, a trip she conditioned on him driving.
Legal Significance: This case establishes that an agency relationship, for purposes of vicarious liability, can be formed by conduct manifesting consent and control, even without a formal contract or compensation, particularly when specific conditions are imposed on the use of property.
Gorton v. Doty Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Appellant Doty, a high school teacher, owned an automobile. The school’s football coach, Russell Garst, needed an additional car to transport the team to an away game. Doty volunteered her car, telling Garst he might use it if he drove it. Doty received no compensation for the car’s use, though the school district paid for gasoline. During the trip, with Garst driving, an accident occurred, injuring Richard Gorton, a student football player. Gorton sued Doty, alleging Garst was her agent and that his negligence caused the injuries. Doty contended she merely loaned the car to Garst, making him a bailee, not her agent. The trial court found for Gorton, concluding an agency relationship existed.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Did an agency relationship exist between the car owner (Doty) and the driver (Garst) when the owner volunteered her car for transporting a football team on the condition that the coach drive, thereby making the owner vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence?
Yes, the evidence sufficiently supported the jury’s finding that an agency relationship Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cup
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Did an agency relationship exist between the car owner (Doty) and the driver (Garst) when the owner volunteered her car for transporting a football team on the condition that the coach drive, thereby making the owner vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence?
Conclusion
Gorton v. Doty illustrates that an agency relationship can be implied from Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in
Legal Rule
Agency is the relationship which results from the manifestation of consent by Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur
Legal Analysis
The court adopted the Restatement definition of agency, emphasizing that the core Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non p
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Car owner who volunteered car for school trip, on condition coach