Craft v. Hermes Consolidated, Inc.

797 P.2d 559, 1990 Wyo. LEXIS 101, 1990 WL 132684

• Court: Wyoming Supreme Court
• Decided: September 14, 1990
• Docket: 90-61
• Status: Published

Opinions

GOLDEN, Justice.

We are presented with the following certified question from the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming:

Does Wyoming recognize a claim for relief by minor children of a negligently injured parent for loss of parental consortium?

The question is answered affirmatively by our holding in Nulle v. Gillette-Campbell County Joint Powers Board, No. 89-251, slip op. — P.2d — (Wyo., Sept. 14, 1990). In Nulle this court examined the arguments for and against the recognition of a minor’s claim for loss of parental consortium. We were persuaded by the analysis in the decisions that recognize minor children’s claims and held the claim is cognizable in Wyoming:

We hold that minor children have an independent claim for loss of parental consortium resulting from injuries tor-tiously inflicted on their parent by a third person. We further hold that this independent claim should be joined with the injured parent’s claim whenever feasible.

Nulle, at-.