Your firm has recently accepted Maria Conseulas as a client. Maria was seriously injured when she fell off a horse while jumping it at a horse show. The horse caught its foot when going over a difficult jump and fell, crushing Maria under its body. A couple of trainers who observed the accident commented to Maria’s parents that they believed the horse she was riding was being asked to jump at a level it was not physically able to do and that Maria’s trainer should not have entered Maria in this event. Maria’s parents would like to sue the horse trainer, but some preliminary research indicates that the trainer is essentially judgment-proof. The trainer does, however, work for a large ranch, Escondido Farms.
What will your firm need to ascertain before it can decide whether Escondido Farms can be sued in this case? What questions should be asked in making this determination?